OHCA Policies and Rules
317:35-5-41.2. Miscellaneous Personal property
[Revised 09-01-19]
(a) Cash savings and bank accounts. Pursuant to Section 416.1208 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), funds held in a financial institution account (including savings, checking, and time deposits, also known as certificates of deposit) are an individual's resource if the individual has an ownership interest in the account and can use the funds for his or her support and maintenance. Verification of the member's countable income or resources held in bank accounts or at other financial institutions can be established through an Asset Verification System (AVS). Section 1671 of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes provides that financial records obtained for the purpose of establishing eligibility for assistance or services must be furnished without cost to the member or the Agency. If an individual is designated as sole owner by the account title, and can withdraw funds and use them for his or her support and maintenance, all of the funds, regardless of their source, are that individual's resource. For as long as these conditions are met, it is presumed that the individual owns one-hundred percent (100%) of the funds in the account. This presumption is non-rebuttable.
(1) If there is only one applicant or recipient account holder on a jointly held account, it is presumed that all of the funds in the account belong to that individual. If there is more than one (1) applicant or recipient account holder, it is presumed that all the funds in the account belong to those individuals in equal shares.
(2) If none of the account holders is an applicant or recipient, it is presumed that all of the funds in a jointly-held account belong to the deemor(s), in equal shares if there is more than one (1) deemor. A deemor is a person whose income and resources are required to be considered when determining eligibility and computing the SoonerCare benefit for an eligible individual.
(3) The presumption of ownership, as is established in Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 317:35-5-41.2(a)(1) and (a)(2), above, may be rebutted, as follows, in accordance with 20 C.F.R. ' 416.1208. Successful rebuttal may be retroactive as well as prospective.
(A) The individual must submit his/her statement, along with corroborating statements from other account holders, regarding who owns the funds in the joint account, why there is a joint account, who has made deposits to and withdrawals from the account, and how withdrawals have been spent;
(B) The individual must submit account records showing deposits, withdrawals, and interest (if any) in the months for which ownership of funds is at issue; and
(C) The individual must correct the account title to show that the individual is no longer a co-owner if the individual owns none of the funds; or, if the individual owns only a portion of the funds, separate the funds owned by the other account holder(s) from his/her own funds and correct the account title on the individual's own funds to show they are solely-owned by the individual.
(b) Life insurance policies. Life insurance owned by an individual (and spouse, if any) will be considered a resource to the extent of its cash surrender value. The cash surrender value is the amount which the insurer will pay upon cancellation of the policy before death of the insured or before maturity of the policy.
(1) If the total face value of all life insurance policies on any person does not exceed $1,500, no part of the cash surrender value of such life insurance will be taken into account in determining the resources of the individual (and spouse, if any).
(2) In determining the face value of life insurance on the individual (and spouse, if any), term insurance and burial insurance, as defined in 20 C.F.R. 416.1230, will not be taken into account.
(c) Burial spaces. The value of burial spaces for an individual, the individual's spouse or any member of the individual's immediate family will be excluded from resources.
(1) "Burial spaces" means burial plots, gravesites, crypts, mausoleums, urns, niches and other repositories which are customarily and traditionally used for the remains of deceased persons. Additionally, the term includes necessary and reasonable improvements or additions to or upon such burial spaces, including, but not limited to, vaults, headstones, markers, plaques, or burial containers and arrangements for opening and closing the gravesite for burial of the deceased.
(2) "Immediate family" means the individual's minor and adult children, including adopted children and step-children; and the individual's brothers, sisters, parents, adoptive parents, and the spouse of these individuals. Neither dependency nor living in the same household will be a factor in determining whether a person is an immediate family member.
(d) Burial funds. In accordance with 20 C.F.R. ' 416.1231, up to $1,500 each of funds specifically set aside for the burial expenses of the individual or the individual's spouse is excluded from resources. This exclusion applies only if the funds set aside for burial expenses are kept separate from all other resources not intended for burial of the individual (or spouse) and are clearly designated as set aside for the individual's (or spouses) burial expenses. This exclusion is in addition to the burial space exclusion. Each person's $1,500 exclusion shall be reduced by:
(1) The face value of insurance policies on the life of an individual owned by the individual or spouse (if any), if the cash surrender value of those policies has been excluded from resources; and
(2) Amounts in an irrevocable trust (or other irrevocable arrangement) available to meet the burial expenses.
(e) Irrevocable burial contract. Oklahoma law provides that a purchaser (buyer) of a prepaid funeral contract may elect to make the contract irrevocable.
(1) The irrevocability cannot become effective until thirty (30) days after purchase.
(2) For an irrevocable contract to be valid, the election to make it irrevocable must be made by the purchaser (owner) or the purchaser's guardian or an individual with power of attorney for the purchaser (owner). In instances where the DHS Form 08MA084E, Management of Recipient's Funds, is on file in the nursing facility, the form serves as a power of attorney for the administrator to purchase and/or elect to make irrevocable the burial funds for the member.
(3) The assignment of an insurance policy used to fund an irrevocable contract must also be made irrevocable.
(4) The irrevocable contract shall not be considered a countable resource.
(f) Medical insurance. If a member is covered by insurance other than SoonerCare, then SoonerCare is the payer of last resort and should not be billed until all other payers have paid. If payment is made directly to the member, the member must reimburse OHCA up to the amount paid by SoonerCare. Any amount remaining after payment to OHCA is considered as an available resource.
Disclaimer. The OHCA rules found on this Web site are unofficial. The official rules are published by the Oklahoma Secretary of State Office of Administrative Rules as Title 317 of the Oklahoma Administrative Code. To order an official copy of these rules, contact the Office of Administrative Rules at (405) 521-4911.
