In 2010, I attended the “1915(c) Waiver Conference” organized by the former Texas Department of Aging & Disabled Services (DADS). I was fortunately to see the presentation about the newly designed Medicaid Buy-In for Adult, a program designed in collaboration by TWC (formerly DARS) and DADS to provide state-funded Medicaid to individuals who were employed and earning an income that exceed the limited set for both Medicaid authorized through receiving Social Security SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and Medicaid authorized through eligibility for a Medicaid waiver.
In 2018, one of my CLASS clients needed to access this program. While MBI had been around since 2010, the Medicaid and CLASS personnel were not all familiar with the details about MBI and receiving CLASS Medicaid waiver services.
In an effort to protect the client, the MBI Medicaid worker kept discouraging him from accepting the Medicaid through the MBI, claiming this Medicaid type would not allow him access to CLASS services.
My role in this project was to find official documentation in CLASS Medicaid waiver policies, Texas Administrative Code, and Medicaid policy handbooks to assure all parties that this was an option created for this exact situation.
When the client paid his first premium to “buy” into Medicaid, it felt amazing!
He has been able to receive his CLASS services while on the MBI authorized Medicaid for 5 years,
The icing on the cake is the MBI program provides access to higher asset limits, special rules about spouses assets, and allowances related to retirement. Due to these unique rules, he has married without losing benefits due to his wife’s income and assets.
disABLED PATHWAYS 