WAC 388-450-0200 Will the medical expenses of elderly persons or individuals with disabilities in my assistance unit be used as an income deduction for Basic Food?

1. If your Basic Food Assistance Unit (AU) includes an elderly person or individual with a disability as defined in WAC 388-400-0040, your AU may be eligible for an income deduction for that person's out-of-pocket medical expenses, and certain expenses allowable for Medicare prescription drug card holders certified prior to June 1, 2006.  We allow the deduction for medical expenses over $35 each month.

2. You can use an out-of-pocket medical expense toward this deduction if the expense covers services, supplies, medication, or other medically needed items prescribed by a state-licensed practitioner or other state-certified, qualified, health professional. Examples of expenses you can use for this deduction include those for: 

   1. Medical, psychiatric, naturopathic physician, dental, or chiropractic care;

   2. Prescribed alternative therapy such as massage or acupuncture;

   3. Prescription drugs;

   4. Over the counter drugs;

   5. Eye glasses;

   6. Medical supplies other than special diets;

   7. Medical equipment or medically needed changes to your home;

   8. Shipping and handling charges for an allowable medical item. This includes shipping and handling charges for items purchased through mail order or the Internet;

   9. Long distance calls to a medical provider;

   10. Hospital and outpatient treatment including:

       1. Nursing care; or

       2. Nursing home care including payments made for a person who was an assistance unit member at the time of placement.

   11. Health insurance premiums paid by the person including:

       1. Medicare premiums; and

       2. Insurance deductibles and co-payments.

   12. Out-of-pocket expenses used to meet a Spenddown as defined in WAC 388-519-0110. We do not allow your entire Spenddown obligation as a deduction. We allow the expense as a deduction as it is estimated to occur or as the expense becomes due.

   13. Dentures, hearing aids, and prosthetics.

   14. Cost to obtain and care for a seeing eye, hearing, or other specially trained service animal. This includes the cost of food and veterinarian bills. We do not allow the expense of food for a service animal as a deduction if you receive Ongoing Additional Requirements under WAC 388-473-0040 to pay for this need.

   15. Reasonable costs of transportation and lodging to obtain medical treatment or services.

   16. Attendant care necessary due to age, infirmity, or illness.  If your AU provides most of the attendant's meals, we allow an additional deduction equal to a one-person allotment.

3. There are two types of deductions for out-of-pocket expenses:

   1. One-time expenses are expenses that cannot be estimated to occur on a regular basis.  You can choose to have us:

      1. Allow the one-time expense as a deduction when it is billed or due;

      2. Average the expense through the remainder of your certification period; or

      3. If your AU has a 24-month certification period, you can choose to use the expense as a one-time deduction, average the expense for the first twelve months of your certification period, or average it for the remainder of your certification period.

   2. Recurring expenses are expenses that happen on a regular basis.  We estimate your monthly expenses for the certification period.

4. If the elderly person or individual with a disability in your AU has an active Medicare prescription drug card prior to June 1, 2006:

   1. Allow any out-of-pocket expenses that meet the criteria in sections (2) and (3) above;

   2. Add a standard $23 to these expenses; and

   3. Allow an additional $50 monthly deduction to account for the 2004 and 2005 prescription subsidies:

      1. For 24 months if the client applied before January 2005; or

      2. For the average number of months resulting from dividing the total subsidy amount by $50 if the client applies in January 2005 or later.

   4. Allow the deductions in (b) and (c) even if the AU has no out-of-pocket expenses.

5. AU members with an active Medicare prescription drug card prior to June 1, 2006 have the option of using their verified pre-card out-of-pocket expenses when this amount is greater than using the standards in subsection (4).

6. We do not allow a medical expense as an income deduction if:

   1. The expense was paid before you applied for benefits or in a previous certification period;

   2. The expense was paid or will be paid by someone else;

   3. The expense was paid or will be paid by the department or another agency;

   4. The expense is covered by medical insurance;

   5. We previously allowed the expense, and you did not pay it.  We do not allow the expense again even if it is part of a repayment agreement.

   6. You included the expense in a repayment agreement after failing to meet a previous agreement for the same expense; or

   7. You claim the expense after you have been denied for presumptive SSI; and you are not considered disabled by any other criteria.