To repeal section 208.010, RSMo 1994, relating to public assistance benefits, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the same subject.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, AS FOLLOWS:

Section A. Section 208.010, RSMo 1994, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 208.010, to read as follows:

208.010. 1. In determining the eligibility of a claimant for public assistance under this law, it shall be the duty of the division of family services to consider and take into account all facts and circumstances surrounding the claimant, including his living conditions, earning capacity, income and resources, from whatever source received, and if from all the facts and circumstances the claimant is not found to be in need, assistance shall be denied. In determining the need of a claimant, the costs of providing medical treatment which may be furnished under sections 208.151 to 208.158 and 208.162 shall be disregarded. The amount of benefits, when added to all other income, resources, support, and maintenance shall provide such persons with reasonable subsistence compatible with decency and health in accordance with the standards developed by the division of family services; provided, when a husband and wife are living together, the combined income and resources of both shall be considered in determining the eligibility of either or both. "Living together" for the purpose of this chapter is defined as including a husband and wife separated for the purpose of obtaining medical care or nursing home care, except that the income of a husband or wife separated for such purpose shall be considered in determining the eligibility of his or her spouse, only to the extent that such income exceeds the amount necessary to meet the needs (as defined by rule or regulation of the division) of such husband or wife living separately. In determining the need of a claimant in federally aided programs there shall be disregarded such amounts per month of earned income in making such determination as shall be required for federal participation by the provisions of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.A. 301 et seq.), or any amendments thereto. When federal law or regulations require the exemption of other income or resources, the division of family services may provide by rule or regulation the amount of income or resources to be disregarded.

2. Benefits shall not be payable to any claimant who:

(1) Has or whose spouse with whom he is living has, prior to July 1, 1989, given away or sold a resource within the time and in the manner specified in this subdivision. In determining the resources of an individual, unless prohibited by federal statutes or regulations, there shall be included (but subject to the exclusions under subdivisions (4) and (5) of this subsection, and subsection [4] 5 of this section) any resource or interest therein owned by such individual or spouse within the twenty-four months preceding the initial investigation, or at any time during which benefits are being drawn, if such individual or spouse gave away or sold such resource or interest within such period of time at less than fair market value of such resource or interest for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits, including but not limited to benefits based on December, 1973, eligibility requirements, as follows:

(a) Any transaction described in this subdivision shall be presumed to have been for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits or assistance under this chapter unless such individual furnishes convincing evidence to establish that the transaction was exclusively for some other purpose;

(b) The resource shall be considered in determining eligibility from the date of the transfer for the number of months the uncompensated value of the disposed of resource is divisible by the average monthly grant paid or average medicaid payment in the state at the time of the investigation to an individual or on his behalf under the program for which benefits are claimed, provided that:

a. When the uncompensated value is twelve thousand dollars or less, the resource shall not be used in determining eligibility for more than twenty-four months; or

b. When the uncompensated value exceeds twelve thousand dollars, the resource shall not be used in determining eligibility for more than sixty months;

(2) The provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection 2 of this section shall not apply to a transfer, other than a transfer to claimant's spouse, made prior to March 26, 1981, when the claimant furnishes convincing evidence that the uncompensated value of the disposed of resource or any part thereof is no longer possessed or owned by the person to whom the resource was transferred;

(3) Has received, or whose spouse with whom he is living has received, benefits to which he was not entitled through misrepresentation or nondisclosure of material facts or failure to report any change in status or correct information with respect to property or income as required by section 208.210. A claimant ineligible under this subsection shall be ineligible for such period of time from the date of discovery as the division of family services may deem proper; or in the case of overpayment of benefits, future benefits may be decreased, suspended or entirely withdrawn for such period of time as the division may deem proper;

(4) Owns or possesses resources in the sum of one thousand dollars or more; provided, however, that if such person is married and living with spouse, he or they, individually or jointly, may own resources not to exceed two thousand dollars; and provided further, that in the case of an aid to families with dependent children claimant, the provision of this subsection shall not apply;

(5) Prior to October 1, 1989, owns or possesses property of any kind or character, excluding amounts placed in an irrevocable prearranged funeral or burial contract pursuant to subsection 2 of section 436.035, RSMo, and subdivision (5) of subsection 1 of section 436.053, RSMo, or has an interest in property, of which he is the record or beneficial owner, the value of such property, as determined by the division of family services, less encumbrances of record, exceeds twenty-nine thousand dollars, or if married and actually living together with husband or wife, if the value of his or her property, or the value of his or her interest in property, together with that of such husband and wife, exceeds such amount;

(6) In the case of aid to families with dependent children, if the parent, stepparent, and child or children in the home owns or possesses property of any kind or character, or has an interest in property for which he is a record or beneficial owner, the value of such property, as determined by the division of family services and as allowed by federal law or regulation, less encumbrances of record, exceeds one thousand dollars, excluding the home occupied by the claimant, amounts placed in an irrevocable prearranged funeral or burial contract pursuant to subsection 2 of section 436.035, RSMo, and subdivision (5) of subsection 1 of section 436.053, RSMo, one automobile which shall not exceed a value set forth by federal law or regulation and for a period not to exceed six months, such other real property which the family is making a good-faith effort to sell, if the family agrees in writing with the division of family services to sell such property and from the net proceeds of the sale repay the amount of assistance received during such period. If the property has not been sold within six months, or if eligibility terminates for any other reason, the entire amount of assistance paid during such period shall be a debt due the state;

(7) Is an inmate of a public institution, except as a patient in a public medical institution.

3. In determining eligibility and the amount of benefits to be granted under federally aided programs, the income and resources of a relative or other person living in the home shall be taken into account to the extent the income, resources, support and maintenance are allowed by federal law or regulation to be considered.

4. In determining eligibility and the amount of benefits to be granted under federally aided programs, the value of burial lots or any amounts placed in an irrevocable prearranged funeral or burial contract pursuant to subsection 2 of section 436.035, RSMo, and subdivision (5) of subsection 1 of section 436.053, RSMo, shall not be taken into account or considered an asset of the burial lot owner or the beneficiary of an irrevocable prearranged funeral or funeral contract. For purposes of this section, "burial lots" means any burial space as defined in section 214.270, RSMo, and any memorial, monument, marker, tombstone or letter marking a burial space.

[4.] 5. In determining the total property owned under subdivision (5) of subsection 2 of this section, or resources, of any person claiming or for whom public assistance is claimed, there shall be disregarded any life insurance policy, or prearranged funeral or burial contract, or any two or more policies or contracts, or any combination of policies and contracts, which provides for the payment of one thousand five hundred dollars or less upon the death of any of the following:

(1) A claimant or person for whom benefits are claimed; or

(2) The spouse of a claimant or person for whom benefits are claimed with whom he is living.

If the value of such policies exceeds one thousand five hundred dollars, then the total value of such policies may be considered in determining resources; except that, in the case of aid to families with dependent children, there shall be disregarded any prearranged funeral or burial contract, or any two or more contracts, which provides for the payment of one thousand five hundred dollars or less per family member.

[5.] 6. Beginning September 30, 1989, when determining the eligibility of institutionalized spouses, as defined in 42 USC section 1396r-5, for medical assistance benefits as provided for in section 208.151 and 42 USC sections 1396a et seq., the division of family services shall comply with the provisions of the federal statutes and regulations. As necessary, the division shall by rule or regulation implement the federal law and regulations which shall include but not be limited to the establishment of income and resource standards and limitations. The division shall require:

(1) That at the beginning of a period of continuous institutionalization that is expected to last for thirty days or more, the institutionalized spouse, or the community spouse, may request an assessment by the division of family services of total countable resources owned by either or both spouses;

(2) That the assessed resources of the institutionalized spouse and the community spouse may be allocated so that each receives an equal share;

(3) That upon an initial eligibility determination, if the community spouse's share does not equal at least twelve thousand dollars, the institutionalized spouse may transfer to the community spouse a resource allowance to increase the community spouse's share to twelve thousand dollars;

(4) That in the determination of initial eligibility of the institutionalized spouse, no resources attributed to the community spouse shall be used in determining the eligibility of the institutionalized spouse, except to the extent that the resources attributed to the community spouse do exceed the community spouse's resource allowance as defined in 42 USC section 1396r-5;

(5) That beginning in January, 1990, the amount specified in subdivision (3) of this subsection shall be increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers between September, 1988, and the September before the calendar year involved; and

(6) That beginning the month after initial eligibility for the institutionalized spouse is determined, the resources of the community spouse shall not be considered available to the institutionalized spouse during that continuous period of institutionalization.

[6.] 7. Beginning July 1, 1989, institutionalized individuals shall be ineligible for the periods required and for the reasons specified in 42 USC section 1396p.

[7.] 8. The hearings required by 42 USC section 1396r-5 shall be conducted under the provisions of section 208.080.

[8.] 9. Beginning October 1, 1989, when determining eligibility for assistance under this chapter there shall be disregarded unless otherwise provided by federal or state statutes, the home of the applicant or recipient when the home is providing shelter to the applicant or recipient, or his spouse or dependent child. The division of family services shall establish by rule or regulation in conformance with applicable federal statutes and regulations a definition of the home and when the home shall be considered a resource that shall be considered in determining eligibility.

[9.] 10. Reimbursement for services provided by an enrolled medicaid provider to a recipient who is duly entitled to Title XIX Medicaid and Title XVIII Medicare Part B, Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) shall include payment in full of deductible and coinsurance amounts as determined due under the applicable provisions of federal regulations pertaining to Title XVIII Medicare Part B, except the applicable Title XIX cost sharing.

[10.] 11. A "community spouse" is defined as being the noninstitutionalized spouse.