OHCA Policies and Rules
317:35-1-2. Definitions
[Revised 03-01-24]
The following words and terms, when used in this Chapter, have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Acute Care Hospital" means an institution that meets the requirements defined in Section (§) 440.10 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) and:
(A) Is maintained primarily for the care and treatment of patients with disorders other than mental diseases;
(B) Is formally licensed or formally approved as a hospital by an officially designated authority for state standard setting; and
(C) Meets the requirements for participation in Medicare as a hospital.
"Adult" means an individual twenty-one (21) years of age or older, unless otherwise specified by statute, regulation, and/or policy adopted by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA). For eligibility criteria policy for children and adults, please refer to Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 317:35-5-2.
"ADvantage Administration (AA)" means the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) which performs certain administrative functions related to the ADvantage Waiver.
"Aged" means an individual whose age is established as sixty-five (65) years or older.
"Agency partner" means an agency or organization contracted with the OHCA that will assist those applying for services.
"Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)" means the group of low-income families with children described in Section 1931 of the Social Security Act. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 established the new eligibility group of low-income families with children and linked eligibility income and resource standards and methodologies and the requirement for deprivation for the new group to the State plan for AFDC in effect on July 16, 1996. Oklahoma has elected to be less restrictive for all SoonerCare members related to AFDC. Children covered under Section 1931 are related to the children's group, and adults covered under Section 1931 are related to the parent and caretaker relative group. The Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) methodology is used to determine eligibility for these groups.
"Alien" is synonymous with the word "noncitizen" and means an individual who does not have United States citizenship and is not a United States national.
"Area nurse" means a registered nurse in the OKDHS Aging Services Division, designated according to geographic areas who evaluates the Uniform Comprehensive Assessment Tool (UCAT) and determines medical eligibility for Personal Care, ADvantage Waiver, and Nursing Facility services. The area nurse also approves care plan and service plan implementation for Personal Care services.
"Area nurse designee" means a registered nurse selected by the area nurse who evaluates the UCAT and determines medical eligibility for Personal Care, ADvantage Waiver, and Nursing Facility services.
"Authority" means the OHCA.
"Blind" means an individual who has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens.
"Board" means the OHCA Board.
"Buy-in" means the procedure whereby the OHCA pays the member's Medicare premium.
(A) "Part A Buy-in" means the procedure whereby the OHCA pays the Medicare Part A premium for individuals determined eligible as Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries Plus (QMBP) who are enrolled in Part A and are not eligible for premium free enrollment as explained under Medicare Part A. This also includes individuals determined to be eligible as Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI).
(B) "Part B Buy-in" means the procedure whereby the OHCA pays the Medicare Part B premium for categorically needy individuals who are eligible for Part B Medicare. This includes individuals who receive TANF or the State Supplemental Payment to the Aged, Blind or Disabled, and those determined to be Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Plus (QMBP), Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiaries (SLMB) or Qualifying Individual-1 (QI-1). Also included are individuals who continue to be categorically needy under the PICKLE amendment and those who retain eligibility after becoming employed.
"Caretaker relative" means a person other than the biological or adoptive parent with whom the child resides who meets the specified degree of relationship within the fifth degree of kinship.
"Case management" means the activities performed for members to assist them in accessing services, advocacy and problem solving related to service delivery.
"Categorically needy" means that income and, when applicable, resources are within the standards for the category to which the individual is related.
"Categorically related" or "related" means the individual meets basic eligibility requirements for an eligibility group.
"Certification period" means the period of eligibility extending from the effective date of certification to the date of termination of eligibility or the date of the next periodic redetermination of eligibility.
"Child" means an individual under twenty-one (21) years of age, unless otherwise specified by statute, regulation, and/or policy adopted by the OHCA. For eligibility criteria policy for children and adults, please refer to OAC 317:35-5-2.
"Continuous eligibility" means uninterrupted eligibility for the extent of the certification period regardless of any changes in circumstances, unless:
(A) The child turns age nineteen (19);
(B) The child dies;
(C) The child is no longer an Oklahoma resident;
(D) The child becomes incarcerated (per OAC 317:35-6-45 the eligibility is suspended for the duration of the incarceration period for individuals under the age of twenty-one (21) except for periods of time that inpatient services are provided per OAC 317:35-5-26);
(E) The adult parent or caretaker relative on the case requests that the medical benefits are closed;
(F) The state has erred in the eligibility determination;
(G) The child or the adult parent or caretaker relative on the case has committed fraud or perjury in order to become eligible; or
(H) The child becomes categorically related to either the pregnancy eligibility group or the former foster care eligibility groups, thereby receiving eligibility based on such category, which is not considered an interruption in continuous eligibility.
"County" means the Oklahoma OKDHS' office or offices located in each county within the State.
"Custody" means the custodial status, as reported by OKDHS.
"Deductible/Coinsurance" means the payment that must be made by or on behalf of an individual eligible for Medicare before Medicare payment is made. The coinsurance is that part of the allowable medical expense not met by Medicare, which must be paid by or on behalf of an individual after the deductible has been met.
(A) For Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance), the deductible relates to benefits for inpatient services while the patient is in a hospital or nursing facility. After the deductible is met, Medicare pays the remainder of the allowable cost.
(B) For Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), the deductible is an annual payment that must be made before Medicare payment for medical services. After the deductible is met, Medicare pays eighty percent (80%) of the allowable charge. The remaining twenty percent (20%) is the coinsurance.
"Disabled" means an individual who is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death, or which has lasted (or can be expected to last) for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.
"Disabled child" means for purposes of Medicaid Recovery a child of any age who is blind, or permanently and totally disabled according to standards set by the Social Security Administration.
"Estate" means all real and personal property and other assets included in the member's estate as defined in Title 58 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
"Expansion adult" means an individual defined by 42 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) § 435.119 who is age nineteen (19) or older and under sixty-five (65), at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), and who are not related to the aged, blind, or disabled.
"Gatekeeping" means the performance of a comprehensive assessment by the OKDHS nurse utilizing the UCAT for the determination of medical eligibility, care plan development, and the determination of Level of Care for Personal Care, ADvantage Waiver and Nursing Facility services.
"Ineligible Spouse" means an individual who is not eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) but is the husband or wife of someone who is receiving SSI.
"Lawfully present" means a noncitizen in the United States who is considered to be in lawful immigration status or class.
"Lawfully residing" means the individual is lawfully present in the United States and also meets Medicaid residency requirements.
"Local office" means the Oklahoma OKDHS' office or offices located in each county within the State.
"LOCEU" means the Oklahoma Health Care Authority's Level of Care Evaluation Unit.
"MAGI eligibility group" means an eligibility group whose financial eligibility is determined through the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) methodology. The groups subject to MAGI are defined in 42 C.F.R. _ 436.603 and listed in OAC 317:35-6-1.
"Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI)" means the financial eligibility determination methodology established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2009.
"Medicare" means the federally funded health insurance program also known as Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. It consists of four (4) separate programs. Part A is Hospital Insurance, Part B is Medical Insurance, Part C is Medicare Advantage Plans, and Part D is Prescription Drug Coverage.
(A) "Part A Medicare" means Hospital Insurance that covers services for inpatient services while the patient is in a hospital or nursing facility. Premium free enrollment is provided for all persons receiving Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) or Railroad Retirement income who are age sixty-five (65) or older and for those under age sixty-five (65) who have been receiving disability benefits under these programs for at least twenty-four (24) months.
(i) Persons with end-stage renal disease who require dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant may also be covered.
(ii) Those who do not receive OASDI or Railroad Retirement income must be age sixty-five (65) or over and pay a large premium for this coverage. Under Authority rules, these individuals are not required to enroll for Part A to be eligible for SoonerCare benefits as categorically needy. They must, however, enroll for Medicare Part B. Individuals eligible as a QMBP or as a QDWI under Medicaid are required to enroll for Medicare Part A. The Authority will pay Part A premiums for QMBP individuals who do not qualify for premium free Part A and for all QDWI's.
(B) "Part B Medicare" means Supplemental Medical Insurance that covers physician and related medical services other than inpatient or nursing facility care. Individuals eligible to enroll in Medicare Part B are required to do so under OHCA policy. A monthly premium is required to keep this coverage in effect.
"Minor child" means a child under the age of eighteen (18).
"Noncitizen" is synonymous with the word "alien" and means an individual who does not have United States citizenship and is not a United States national.
"Nursing Care" for the purpose of Medicaid Recovery is care received in a nursing facility, an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs) or other medical institution providing nursing and convalescent care, on a continuing basis, by professional personnel who are responsible to the institution for professional medical services.
"OCSS" means the OKDHS' Oklahoma Child Support Services (formerly Child Support Enforcement Division).
"OHCA" means the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
"OHCA Eligibility Unit" means the group within the OHCA that assists with the eligibility determination process.
"OKDHS" means the Oklahoma Department of Human Services which is also referenced in rules as Department of Human Services (DHS) and Office of Human Services (OHS).
"OKDHS nurse" means a registered nurse in the OKDHS Aging Services Division who meets the certification requirements for UCAT Assessor and case manager, and who conducts the uniform assessment of individuals utilizing the UCAT for the purpose of medical eligibility determination. The OKDHS nurse also develops care plans and service plans for Personal Care services based on the UCAT.
"Qualified Disabled and Working Individual (QDWI)" means individuals who have lost their Title II OASDI benefits due to excess earnings but have been allowed to retain Medicare coverage.
"Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Plus (QMBP)" means certain aged, blind or disabled individuals who may or may not be enrolled in Medicare Part A, meet the Medicaid QMBP income and resource standards and meet all other Medicaid eligibility requirements.
"Qualifying Individual" means certain aged, blind or disabled individuals who are enrolled in Medicare Part A, meet the Medicaid Qualifying Individual income and resource standards and meet all other Medicaid eligibility requirements.
"Qualifying Individual-1" means a Qualified Individual who meets the Qualifying Individual-1 income and resource standards.
"Reasonably compatible" means that there is no significant discrepancy between information declared by a member or applicant and other information available to the agency. More specific policies and procedures for determining whether a declaration is reasonably compatible are detailed in Oklahoma's Verification Plan.
"Recipient lock-in" means when a member is restricted to one primary physician and/or one pharmacy. It occurs when the OHCA determines that a SoonerCare member has used multiple physicians and/or pharmacies in an excessive manner over a twelve (12) month period.
"Scope" means the covered medical services for which payment is made to providers on behalf of eligible individuals. The OHCA Provider Manual (OAC 317:30) contains information on covered medical services.
"Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiaries (SLMB)" means individuals who, except for income, meet all of the eligibility requirements for QMBP eligibility and are enrolled in Medicare Part A.
"TEFRA" means the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-248). TEFRA provides coverage to certain disabled children living in the home who would qualify for SoonerCare if residents of nursing facilities, Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IIDs), or inpatient acute care hospital stays are expected to last not less than sixty (60) days.
"Worker" means the OHCA or OKDHS worker responsible for assisting in eligibility determinations.
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.
