WGIUPD                  GENERAL INFORMATION SYSTEM               08/22/02 
                     DIVISION:  Office of Medicaid Management      PAGE  
GIS 02 MA/021
    02 TA/DC020

TO:	All Local District Commissioners, Medicaid Director, Temporary
Assistance Director, Local CSEU Coordinators, SCU Supervisors

FROM:	Betty Rice, Director
Division of Consumer & Local District Relations

Margot Bean, Deputy Commissioner and Director,
Division of Child Support Enforcement

Patricia Stevens, Deputy Commissioner
Division of Temporary Assistance

SUBJECT:	Child Support Cooperation

EFFECTIVE DATE:	Immediately 

CONTACT PERSON:	Medicaid:	Bureau of Local District Support:
		Upstate:  (518) 474-8216
		NYC:  (212) 268-6855
	DCSE:  County Representative at 1-800-343-8859
	DTA:  Central Team at 1-800-343-8859, ext.4-9344

	This message is to clarify for local social services districts the policy regarding cooperation of minors with child support enforcement requirements.

	A minor under the age of 19 may be asked to provide information about the absent parent of his/her Child Health Plus A (Medicaid) eligible child or about his/her absent spouse.  If such applying minor does not have an applying parent, the minor may also be asked to provide information about his/her parents. However, the failure of a minor under age 19 to cooperate with providing such information about any of these individuals will no longer result in the minor’s ineligibility for Child Health Plus A.  If the minor is otherwise eligible, the minor must not be denied and will not be required to cooperate as a condition of eligibility until reaching his/her 19th birthday.

	A minor age 19 or 20 must cooperate with the child support requirements for the absent parent of his/her own children, for an absent spouse, and for his/her own parents, as a condition of eligibility for Child Health Plus A or Family Health Plus.

	Therefore, the response to question number 38 in Informational Letter 00 INF-2 dated January 12, 2000, is not correct.  The question is “At what age are non-pregnant minors required to comply with child support requirements with regard to their absent parents?”  The correct answer should be “From age 19 to 21, unless good cause is determined or the minor is otherwise exempt.  Children under age 21, however, should never be denied CHPlus A or lose CHPlus A due to their parents’ non-compliance with child support requirements.”

WGIUPD                  GENERAL INFORMATION SYSTEM               08/22/02 
                     DIVISION:  Office of Medicaid Management      PAGE  
GIS 02 MA/021

	The PA individual denial and closing reason code V-30, “failure to comply with IV-D child support requirements”, does not currently generate a Medicaid extension for all minors under age 19.  System support to assure a separate Medicaid determination is under development.  In the meantime, local districts should ensure that any minor under age 19 denied or closed on a PA case with reason code V-30 be given a Medicaid extension/separate determination.