Example 4: Unmarried couple with child-in-common

The household consists of an unmarried couple. Mom has two children, ages 9 and 5, from a previous marriage and they have a child-in-common, age 8 months. Paternity for the infant has been established. The boyfriend is employed and earns $1,100/month while Mom is also employed and earns $900/month. The household is first tested for ADC grant eligibility as a single unit to determine if the child-in-common is “economically deprived.” This ADC grant budget fails due to being over income.

We next test Mom and her two older children separately for ADC grant eligibility (as the father of these two children is absent). This ADC grant budget also fails due to Mom’s earnings. We now look at Medicaid eligibility for the household members.

If both parents want to be considered for MED eligibility, we will budget them in the same ADC/MN unit. The unit size will be five (both parents and all children) and we'll use the income of both parents on this budget. If Mom only wants to be considered for MED eligibility, her unit size would be four and only her income would be considered. If Dad only wants to be considered for MED eligibility, his unit size will be two and only his income would be considered. (Because Dad's only child lives in a two-parent household, Dad would either have to meet the 100 Hour Rule or be determined incapacitated by SRT in order to qualify.)

For Mom's two children from her previous marriage, we have a unit size of four (Mom, her two older children and the child-in-common) and we'll use only Mom's income (plus any income of her two older children) on this budget.

For the child-in-common, the unit size is five (both parents and all children) and we'll use the income of Mom, Dad, and the child-in-common on this budget.

Note: If more than one child in the household is in the same MED category because they are in the same age range (i.e., 1-5 for MAC, 6-18 for SAM), they will be budgeted in the same MED unit.

{5/15/04}