Disqualifying transfers made on or after February 8, 2006

1. This section applies to transfers of income or assets made on or after February 8, 2006. 2. Except as provided in subsections 7 and 16, an individual is ineligible for skilled nursing care, swing-bed, or home and community-based benefits if the individual or the individual's spouse disposes of assets or income for less than fair market value on or after the look-back date. The look-back date is a date that is sixty months before the first date on which the individual is both receiving skilled nursing care, swing-bed, or home and community-based services and has applied for benefits under this chapter, without regard to the action taken on the application. 3. An applicant, recipient, or anyone acting on behalf of an applicant or recipient, has a duty to disclose any transfer of any asset or income made by or on behalf of the applicant or recipient, or the spouse of the applicant or recipient, for less than full fair market value: a. When making an application; b. When completing a redetermination; and c. If made after eligibility has been established, by the end of the month in which the transfer was made. 4. The date that a period of ineligibility begins is the latest of: a. The first day of the month in which the income or assets were transferred for less than fair market value; b. The first day on which the individual is receiving nursing care services and would otherwise have been receiving benefits for institutional care but for the penalty; c. The first day thereafter which is not in a period of ineligibility; or d. The date of discovery after eligibility has been established. 5. a. The number of months and days of ineligibility for an individual shall be equal to the total cumulative uncompensated value of all income and assets transferred by the individual, or individual's spouse, on or after the look-back date divided by the average monthly cost or average daily cost, as appropriate, of nursing facility care in North Dakota at the time of the individual's application. b. A fractional period of ineligibility may not be rounded down or otherwise disregarded with respect to any disposal of assets or income for less than fair market value. c. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of this section, in the case of an individual or an individual's spouse who makes multiple fractional transfers of assets or income in more than one month for less than fair market value on or after the look-back date established under subsection 2, the period of ineligibility applicable to such individual must be determined by treating the total, cumulative uncompensated value of all assets or income transferred during all months on or after the look-back date as one transfer and one penalty period must be imposed beginning on the earliest date applicable to any of the transfers. d. Any portion of the transferred asset or income returned prior to the imposition of the period of ineligibility reduces the total amount of the disqualifying transfer. 6. For purposes of this section, "assets" includes the purchase of a life estate interest in another individual's home unless the purchaser resides in the home for a period of at least one year after the date of the purchase. 7. An individual may not be ineligible for Medicaid by reason of subsection 2 to the extent that: a. The assets transferred were a home, and title to the home was transferred to: (1) The individual's spouse; (2) The individual's son or daughter who is under age twenty-one, blind, or disabled; (3) The individual's brother or sister who has an equity interest in the individual's home and who was residing in the individual's home for a period of at least one year immediately before the date the individual became an institutionalized individual; or (4) The individual's son or daughter, other than a child described in paragraph 2, who was residing in the individual's home for a period of at least two years immediately before the date the individual began receiving nursing care services, and who provided care to the individual which permitted the individual to avoid receiving nursing care services; b. The income or assets: (1) Were transferred to the individual's spouse or to another for the sole benefit of the individual's spouse; (2) Were transferred from the individual's spouse to another for the sole benefit of the individual's spouse; (3) Were transferred to, or to a trust established solely for the benefit of, the individual's child who is blind or disabled; or (4) Were transferred to a trust established solely for the benefit of an individual less than sixty-five years of age who is disabled; c. The individual makes a satisfactory showing that: (1) The individual intended to dispose of the income or assets, either at fair market value or other valuable consideration, and the individual had an objectively reasonable belief that fair market value or its equivalent was received; (2) The income or assets were transferred exclusively for a purpose other than to qualify for Medicaid; or (3) For periods after the return, all income or assets transferred for less than fair market value have been returned to the individual; or d. The asset transferred was an asset excluded for Medicaid purposes other than: (1) The home or residence of the individual or the individual's spouse; (2) Property that is not saleable without working an undue hardship; (3) Excluded home replacement funds; (4) Excluded payments, excluded interest on those payments, and excluded in-kind items received for the repair or replacement of lost, damaged, or stolen exempt or excluded assets; (5) Life estate interests; (6) Mineral interests; (7) An asset received from a decedent's estate during any period it is considered to be unavailable under subsection 5 of section 75-02-02.1-25; (8) An annuity; or (9) A motor vehicle. 8. a. An individual shall not be ineligible for Medicaid by reason of subsection 2 to the extent the individual makes a satisfactory showing that an undue hardship exists for the individual. Upon imposition of a period of ineligibility because of a transfer of assets or income for less than fair market value, the department shall notify the applicant or recipient of the right to request an undue hardship exception. An individual may apply for an exception to the transfer of asset penalty if the individual claims that the ineligibility period will cause an undue hardship to the individual. A request for a determination of undue hardship must be made within ninety days after the circumstances upon which the claim of undue hardship is made were known or should have been known to the affected individual or the person acting on behalf of that individual if incompetent. The individual must provide to the department sufficient documentation to support the claim of undue hardship. The department shall determine whether a hardship exists upon receipt of all necessary documentation submitted in support of a request for a hardship exception. An undue hardship exists only if the individual shows that all of the following conditions are met: (1) Application of the period of ineligibility would deprive the individual of food, clothing, shelter, or other necessities of life or would deprive the individual of medical care such that the individual's health or life would be endangered; (2) The individual who transferred the assets or income, or on whose behalf the assets or income were transferred, has exhausted all reasonable means to recover the assets or income or the value of the transferred assets or income, from the transferee, a fiduciary, or any insurer; and (3) The individual's remaining available assets and the remaining assets of the individual's spouse are less than the asset limit in subsection 1 of section 75-02-02.1-26, or if applicable, the minimum allowed under section 75-02-02.1-24, counting the value of all assets except: (a) A home, exempt under section 75-02-02.1-28, but not if the individual or the individual's spouse has equity in the home in excess of twenty-five percent of the amount established in the approved state plan for medical assistance which is allowed as the maximum home equity interest for nursing facility services or other long-term care services; (b) Household and personal effects; (c) One motor vehicle if the primary use is for transportation of the individual, or the individual's spouse or minor, blind, or disabled child who occupies the home; and (d) Funds for burial up to the amount excluded in subsection 10 of section 75-02-02.1-28 for the individual and the individual's spouse. b. Upon the showing required by this subsection, the department shall state the date upon which an undue hardship begins and, if applicable, when it ends. c. The agency shall terminate the undue hardship exception, if not earlier, at the time an individual, the spouse of the individual, or anyone with authority to act on behalf of the individual, makes any uncompensated transfer of income or assets after the undue hardship exception is granted. The agency shall deny any further requests for an undue hardship exception due to either the disqualification based on the transfer upon which the initial undue hardship determination was based, or a disqualification based on any subsequent transfer. 9. If a request for an undue hardship waiver is denied, the applicant or recipient may request a fair hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 75-01-03. 10. There is a presumption that a transfer for less than fair market value was made for purposes that include the purpose of qualifying for Medicaid: a. In any case in which the individual's assets and the assets of the individual's spouse remaining after the transfer produce income which, when added to other income available to the individual and to the individual's spouse, total an amount insufficient to meet all living expenses and medical costs reasonably anticipated to be incurred by the individual and by the individual's spouse in the month of transfer and in the fifty-nine months following the month of transfer; b. In any case in which an inquiry about Medicaid benefits was made, by or on behalf of the individual to any person, before the date of the transfer; c. In any case in which the individual or the individual's spouse was an applicant for or recipient of Medicaid before the date of transfer; d. In any case in which a transfer is made by or on behalf of the individual or the individual's spouse, if the value of the transferred income or asset, when added to the value of the individual's other countable assets, would exceed the asset limits in section 75-02-02.1-26; or e. In any case in which the transfer was made, on behalf of the individual or the individual's spouse, by a guardian, conservator, or attorney in fact, to a relative of the individual or the individual's spouse, or to the guardian, conservator, or attorney in fact or to any parent, child, stepparent, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew, whether by birth, adoption, and whether by whole or half-blood, of the guardian, conservator, or attorney in fact or the spouse or former spouse of the guardian, conservator, or attorney in fact. 11. An applicant or recipient who claims that income or assets were transferred exclusively for a purpose other than to qualify for Medicaid must show that a desire to receive Medicaid benefits played no part in the decision to make the transfer and must rebut any presumption arising under subsection 10. The fact, if it is a fact, that the individual would be eligible for the Medicaid coverage for nursing care services, had the individual or the individual's spouse not transferred income or assets for less than fair market value, is not evidence that the income or assets were transferred exclusively for a purpose other than to qualify for Medicaid. 12. If a transfer results in a period of ineligibility under this section for an individual receiving nursing care services, and if the individual's spouse is otherwise eligible for Medicaid and requires nursing care services, the remaining period of ineligibility shall be apportioned equally between the spouses. If one such spouse dies or stops receiving nursing care services, any months remaining in that spouse's apportioned period of ineligibility must be assigned or reassigned to the spouse who continues to receive nursing care services. 13. No income or asset transferred to a parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, stepsister, stepbrother, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew of the individual or the individual's spouse, purportedly for services or assistance furnished by the transferee to the individual or the individual's spouse, may be treated as consideration for the services or assistance furnished unless: a. The transfer is made pursuant to a valid written contract entered into prior to rendering the services or assistance or in absence of a valid written contract, evidence is provided the services were required and provided; b. The contract was executed by the individual or the individual's fiduciary who is not a provider of services or assistance under the contract; c. Compensation is consistent with rates paid in the open market for the services or assistance actually provided; and d. The parties' course of dealing included paying compensation upon rendering services or assistance, or within thirty days thereafter. 14. A transfer is complete when the individual or the individual's spouse making the transfer has no lawful means of undoing the transfer or requiring a restoration of ownership. 15. For purposes of this section: a. "Annuity" means a policy, certificate, contract, or other arrangement between two or more parties whereby one party pays money or other valuable consideration to the other party in return for the right to receive payments in the future, but does not mean an employee benefit that qualifies for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code or a plan described in the Internal Revenue Code as a retirement plan under which contributions must end and withdrawals must begin by age seventy and one-half. b. "Average monthly cost of nursing facility care" means the cost determined by the department under section 1917(c)(1)(E)(i)(II) of the Act [42 U.S.C. 1396p(c)(1)(E)(i)(II)]. c. "Fair market value" means: (1) In the case of a liquid asset that is not subject to reasonable dispute concerning its value, such as cash, bank deposits, stocks, and fungible commodities, one hundred percent of apparent fair market value; (2) In the case of real or personal property that is subject to reasonable dispute concerning its value, seventy-five percent of the estimated fair market value; and (3) In the case of income, one hundred percent of apparent fair market value. d. "Major medical policy" includes any policy, certificate, or subscriber contract issued on a group or individual basis by any insurance company, nonprofit health service organization, fraternal benefit society, or health maintenance organization, which provides a plan of health insurance or health benefit coverage, including medical, hospital, and surgical care, approved for issuance by the insurance regulatory body in the state of issuance, but does not include accident-only, credit, dental, vision, Medicare supplement, long-term care, or disability income insurance, coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance or automobile medical payment insurance, or a policy or certificate of specified disease, hospital confinement indemnity, or limited benefit health insurance. e. "Medicare" means the Health Insurance for the Aged and Disabled Act, title XVIII of the Social Security Act of 1965, as amended [42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq; Pub. L. 92-603; 86 Stat. 1370]. f. "Medicare supplement policy offering plan F benefits" means a policy, group, or individual accident and health insurance policy or a subscriber contract of a health service corporation or a health care plan of a health maintenance organization or preferred provider organization, other than a policy issued pursuant to a contract under section 1876 or 1833 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.] or an issued policy under a demonstration project authorized pursuant to amendments to the Social Security Act that: (1) Is advertised, marketed, or designed primarily as a supplement to reimbursements under Medicare for the hospital, medical, or surgical expenses of persons eligible for Medicare; (2) Is not a policy or contract of one or more employers or labor organizations, or the trustees of a fund established by one or more employers or labor organizations, or combination thereof, for employees or former employees, or combination thereof, or for members or former members, or combination thereof, of the labor organization; (3) Is approved for issuance by the insurance regulatory body in the state of issuance; and (4) Includes: (a) Hospitalization benefits consisting of Medicare part A coinsurance plus coverage for three hundred sixty-five additional days after Medicare benefits end; (b) Medical expense benefits consisting of Medicare part B coinsurance; (c) Blood provision consisting of the first three pints of blood each year; (d) Skilled nursing coinsurance; (e) Medicare part A deductible coverage; (f) Medicare part B deductible coverage; (g) Medicare part B excess benefits at one hundred percent coverage; and (h) Foreign travel emergency coverage. g. "Relative" means a parent, child, stepparent, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, great-great-grandparent, great-great-grandchild, great-aunt, great-uncle, first cousin, grandniece, or grandnephew, whether by birth or adoption, and whether by whole or half-blood, of the individual or the individual's current or former spouse. h. "Uncompensated value" means the difference between fair market value and the value of any consideration received. 16. The provisions of this section do not apply in determining eligibility for Medicare savings programs. 17. An individual disposes of assets or income when the individual, or anyone on behalf of the individual or at the request of the individual, acts or fails to act in a manner that effects a transfer, conveyance, assignment, renunciation, or disclaimer of any asset or income in which the individual had or was entitled to claim an interest of any kind. 18. An individual may demonstrate that an asset was transferred exclusively for a purpose other than to qualify for Medicaid if, for a period of at least thirty-six consecutive months, beginning on the date the asset was transferred, the individual has in force home care and long-term care coverage, purchased on or before July 31, 2003, with a daily benefit at least equal to 1.25 times the average daily cost of nursing care for the year in which the policy is issued or an aggregate benefit at least equal to 1,095 times that daily benefit, and: a. For each such month during which the individual is not eligible for Medicare benefits, the individual has in force a major medical policy that provides a lifetime maximum benefit of one million dollars or more, an annual aggregate deductible of five thousand dollars or less, and an out-of-pocket maximum annual expenditure per qualifying individual of five thousand dollars or less; and b. For each such month during which the individual is eligible for Medicare benefits, the individual has in force a Medicare supplement policy offering plan F benefits, or their equivalent. 19. An individual may demonstrate that an asset was transferred exclusively for a purpose other than to qualify for Medicaid if, for a period of at least thirty-six consecutive months, beginning on the date the asset was transferred, the individual has in force home health care coverage, assisted living coverage, basic care coverage, and skilled nursing facility coverage, purchased on or after August 1, 2003, and before January 1, 2007, with a daily benefit at least equal to 1.57 times the average daily cost of nursing care for the year in which the policy is issued or an aggregate benefit at least equal to 1,095 times that daily benefit, and: a. For each month during which the individual is not eligible for Medicare benefits, the individual has in force a major medical policy that provides a lifetime maximum benefit of one million dollars or more, an annual aggregate deductible of five thousand dollars or less, and an out-of-pocket maximum annual expenditure per qualifying individual of five thousand dollars or less; and b. For each such month during which the individual is eligible for Medicare benefits, the individual has in force a Medicare supplement policy offering plan F benefits, or their equivalent. 20. With respect to an annuity transaction which includes the purchase of, selection of an irrevocable payment option, addition of principal to, elective withdrawal from, request to change distribution from, or any other transaction that changes the course of payments from an annuity which occurs on or after February 8, 2006, an individual may demonstrate that an asset was transferred exclusively for a purpose other than to qualify for Medicaid, if the asset was used to acquire an annuity, only if: a. The owner of the annuity provides documentation satisfactory to the department that names the department as the remainder beneficiary in the first position for at least the total amount of medical assistance paid on behalf of the annuitant or the department is named in the second position after the community spouse or minor or disabled child, and that establishes that any attempt by such spouse or a representative of such child to dispose of any such remainder shall cause the department to become the remainder beneficiary for at least the total amount of medical assistance paid on behalf of the annuitant; b. The annuity is purchased from an insurance company or other commercial company that sells annuities as part of the normal course of business; c. The annuity is irrevocable and neither the annuity nor payments due under the annuity may be assigned or transferred; d. The annuity provides substantially equal payments of principal and interest, no less frequently than annually, that vary by five percent or less from the total annual payment of the previous year, and does not have a balloon or deferred payment of principal or interest; and e. The annuity will return the full principal and interest within the purchaser's life expectancy as determined in accordance with actuarial publications of the office of the chief actuary of the social security administration.