KidsCare Manual

Chapter 400: Arizona Residency

Table of Contents

400 Residency Overview

401 Arizona Residency

• 401.1 Temporarily Absent
• 401.2 Verification of Arizona Residency
• 401.3 KEDS

402 Patient in an Institution for Mental Disease (IMD)

403 Inmate of a Penal Institution

400 Residency Overview

A. Introduction

This chapter describes the residency eligibility and verification requirements for KidsCare and Medicaid.

401 Arizona Residency

A. Eligibility Requirement

To be eligible for KidsCare or Medicaid, an individual must be an Arizona resident.

B. Definition

An Arizona resident is an individual who is currently residing in Arizona and considers Arizona his/her place of residence. In addition, an individual placed by an agency of the State of Arizona in an out-of-state institution remains a resident of Arizona. An institution is defined as:

• A medical institution;
• An establishment that furnishes (in single or multiple facilities) food, shelter and some treatment or services to four or more persons unrelated to the proprietor; and
• Licensed foster care homes which provide food, shelter and supportive services to one or more persons unrelated to the proprietor.

C. Address

The individual does not need a fixed or permanent address. However, if the individual does not have a residential address, the PI must provide a description of the location.

Caution: Never enter the address of a woman's shelter in KEDS. Use the P.O. Box of the shelter.

D. Seeking Employment in Another State

An individual who goes to another state seeking employment may choose to either be a resident of the state in which the individual is seeking employment or the state in which the individual considers his/her state of residence. If a child's parent is seeking employment in another state, and the child resides with the parent, the child's residency is the same as the parent.

E. Working in Another State

An individual who is involved in work of a transient nature may choose to either be a resident of the state in which the individual is working or the state in which the individual considers his/her state of residence. If a child's parent is working in another state, and the child resides with the parent, the child's residency is the same as the parent.

F. Children Residing in an Institution

A child who is residing in an institution in Arizona who was not placed by an agency of another state, is a resident of the state where the child's parents reside.

G. Institutional Placement by Out-of-State Agency

An individual who is placed in an institution in Arizona by an agency of another state is a resident of the state making the placement. Deny KidsCare and Medicaid for non-residency.

H. Durational Requirement

There is no durational requirement. Do not deny eligibility because the individual has not resided in Arizona for a specified period.

401.1 Temporarily Absent

A. Temporarily Absence at Time of Application

If a child is temporarily absent from Arizona at the time of application, the child must return to the state before KidsCare can be approved.

If the child does not return by the 30th day after the date of application, deny eligibility for KidsCare and Medicaid for non-residency.

B. Temporary Absence After Approval

A KidsCare recipient who is temporarily absent from Arizona may remain eligible for KidsCare. The child is temporarily absent if:

• The absence will be 30 days or less; or
• The temporary absence is longer than 30 days, and
• The reason for the absence remains temporary and there is a clear intent to return;
• The child does not live with another parent in the other state, or otherwise become a resident of the other state;
• A parent or legal guardian maintains a home for the child in Arizona and continues to exercise responsibility for the care and control of the child; and
• The temporary absence does not exceed 90 days.

Note: During the absence the child is eligible to receive only emergency services.

401.2 Verification of Arizona Residency

A. Proof

Accept the PI's declaration on the application as proof of Arizona residency, unless residency is questionable. If residency is questionable, request proof of residency.

B. Questionable Residency

Questionable residency may be identified by inconsistencies in the other information on the application or in the case file such as tax forms, driver's license, utility bills, WTPY, etc., or information found in other systems such as AZTECS.

C. Types of Proof

Types of proof include, but are not limited to:

• School registration;
• A valid Arizona drivers license;
• A current rent or mortgage receipt;
• A statement from the landlord;
• An Arizona utility bill;
• A current Arizona vehicle registration;
• A current document verifying registration with a public or private employment service in Arizona; or
• A written or oral declaration by a neighbor or someone who knows the family living arrangements.

401.3 KEDS

A. Instructions

Follow the steps below to enter the residency status of the individual.

B. Example

In the example below, the child is an Arizona resident.

402 Patient in an Institution for Mental Disease (IMD)

A. Policy

An individual who is a patient in an IMD is ineligible for KidsCare. However, it does not affect eligibility for Medicaid.

B. Definition of IMD

Institution for Mental Disease (IMD) means a hospital, nursing facility, or other institution of more than 16 beds that is primarily engaged in providing diagnosis, treatment or care of persons with mental diseases, including medical attention, nursing care and related services.

C. Verification

If a child is residing in a facility, follow the steps below to determine if the facility is an IMD.

D. KEDS Instructions

The instructions depend on whether the individual is potentially eligible for Medicaid.

403 Inmate of a Penal Institution

A. Policy

An individual residing in a penal institution as an inmate is ineligible for both KidsCare and Medicaid. However, if the individual is going to be released within the next 30 days, do not deny the application. Hold the application until the individual is released.

B. Definition of Inmate

An inmate of a penal institution is a:

• Child in a juvenile detention center prior to disposition (judgment), due to criminal activity;
• Child in a juvenile detention center prior to disposition, due to care, protection, or in the best interest of the child (e.g., Child Protective Services), unless there is a specific plan for that person that makes the stay at the detention center temporary;
• Child placed by a juvenile court on juvenile intensive probation with specific conditions of release, including residence in a juvenile detention center;
• Child placed by a juvenile court on juvenile intensive probation to a secure treatment facility contracted with the juvenile detention center if the secure facility is a part of the criminal justice system;
• Person who is an inmate in a prison within the Arizona Department of Corrections;
• Person who is an inmate of a county, city or tribal jail;
• Person who is an inmate of a prison or jail, prior to arraignment, conviction, or sentencing;
• Person who is incarcerated but can leave prison or jail on work release or work furlough, and must return at specific intervals;
• Person released from prison or jail due to a medical emergency, with no court probation order, who would otherwise be incarcerated except for the medical emergency; or
• Person who is ordered by the court to reside in the Arizona State Hospital.

C. Persons Who are Not Inmates

The following persons are not inmates of a penal institution:

• A child in a juvenile detention center prior to disposition, due to care, protection, or in the best interest of the child (e.g., Child Protective Services), if there is a specific plan for that person that makes the stay at the detention center temporary;
• A child placed by a juvenile court on juvenile intensive probation with the condition of home arrest restrictions;
• A child placed by a juvenile court on probation to a secure treatment facility contracted with the juvenile detention center if the secure facility is not a part of the criminal justice system;
• A child placed by a juvenile court on juvenile intensive probation with treatment in a psychiatric hospital, or a residential treatment center, or outpatient treatment as a condition of probation;
• A person who, after arrest, but before booking, is escorted by police to a hospital for medical treatment and held under guard;
• A person in a prison or jail who transfers temporarily to a halfway house or residential treatment facility prior to a formal probation release order;
• A person released from a prison or jail on probation, parole, or a release order with the condition of home arrest, work release, community service or outpatient or inpatient treatment; or
• A person who is released from jail under a court probation order due to a medical emergency.

D. Verification

Accept the PI's declaration on the application. If you are unable to determine if the individual is an inmate based on the information on the application, contact the facility where the individual is located.

E. KEDS

If the individual is an inmate and is not scheduled to be released within the next 30 days, deny both KidsCare and Medicaid eligibility using disposition code RJ.