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Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services Obsolete Medicaid Eligibility Handbook For the current MEH, see http://www.emhandbooks.wi.gov/meh-ebd/ For the current BC Plus Handbook, see http://www.emhandbooks.wi.gov/bcplus/ |
Spousal impoverishment is an MA policy that allows persons to retain assets and income Income is anything you receive in cash or in kind that you can use to meet your needs for food, clothing, and shelter. that are above the regular MA financial limits. Spousal impoverishment policy applies to institutionalized persons (5.10.2.3) and their community spouse (5.10.2.1).
The policy's purpose is to prevent impoverishment of the community spouse. Before enactment of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988, the community spouse was legally obliged to provide financial support to the institutionalized person. After enactment, s/he is allowed to have substantial assets and income without liability for the institutionalized spouse and without affecting the MA eligibility of the institutionalized spouse.
This page last updated in Release Number : 01-02
Release Date: 04/01/00
Effective Date: 04/01/00