171 EXTENDED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO EMPLOYMENT SR 97-03, 02/97 (FAM-A)

All individuals who were members of a TANF or IV-E foster care financial assistance group may receive up to 12 months of extended medical assistance without completing a new application, if the assistance group becomes ineligible for financial assistance and meets the following criteria: *

• ineligibility for financial assistance is due to new or increased earnings of the parent/caretaker relative included, or *

• ineligibility for TANF-UP is due to an increase in the number of hours the principal wage earner is employed.

The reason for the termination of TANF or IV-E financial assistance must be due in whole or in part to the employment-related reasons listed above. Extend medical assistance only if there are no changes in program criteria, nonfinancial criteria, or resources which make the assistance group ineligible at the same time as the employment-related change.

Exception: An individual who is determined by a court to have fraudulently received TANF financial assistance in any of the 6 months immediately preceding the closing of a financial assistance case due to increased income is not eligible for extended medical assistance. Other assistance group members are also ineligible for extended medical assistance. The penalty stays with each individual from the original assistance group whether they remain in the same assistance group or move to another assistance group. If a penalized individual moves into another assistance group, the new assistance group is not penalized—only the original penalized individual.