TITLE 56

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND WELFARE

CHAPTER 2

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LAW

56-218A.  Medical assistance liens during life of recipient. (1) The department may recover and may impose a lien against the real property of any individual prior to his death for medical assistance paid or about to be paid under this chapter on behalf of an individual:

(a)  Who is an inpatient in a nursing facility, intermediate care facility for people with intellectual disabilities, or other medical institution, if such individual is required, as a condition of receiving services in such institution under the state plan, to spend for costs of medical care all but a minimal amount of his income required for personal needs; and

(b)  With respect to whom the department has determined, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that he cannot reasonably be expected to be discharged from the medical institution and to return home.

(2)  No lien may be imposed on the home of an individual under subsection (1) of this section if any of the following is lawfully residing in such home:

(a)  The spouse of such individual;

(b)  Such individual’s child under age twenty-one (21) years;

(c)  Such individual’s child who is blind or permanently and totally disabled as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1382c; or

(d)  A sibling of such individual who holds an equity interest in such home and who was residing in such home for a period of at least one (1) year prior to the individual’s admission to the medical institution.

(3)  (a) The lien shall be perfected by filing in the office of the secretary of state a notice of lien pursuant to section 45-1904, Idaho Code. The notice of lien shall include, in addition to the information required by section 45-1904, Idaho Code, the amount paid or about to be paid by the department on behalf of the individual, and, if applicable, the fact that the amount of the lien may increase over time.

(b)  The department shall file any notice of lien under this section within ninety (90) days of the final determination of the department, after hearing if any, required in subsection (1)(b) of this section, with the exception of property against which the department is prevented from filing a lien pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. With respect to the property described in subsection (2) of this section, the department shall file a notice of lien within ninety (90) days after the department is notified in writing that subsection (2) of this section ceases to apply to the property.

(4)  Any lien imposed in accordance with subsection (1) of this section shall dissolve upon the individual’s discharge from the medical institution and return home.

(5)  No recovery shall be made under this section for medical assistance correctly paid except from such individual’s estate as defined in subsection (4) of section 56-218, Idaho Code, and subject to subsections (1)(d), (5) and (6) of section 56-218, Idaho Code, or upon sale of the property subject to a lien and may be made only after the death of such individual’s surviving spouse, if any, and only at a time:

(a)  When he has no surviving child who is under age twenty-one (21) years, or who is blind or permanently and totally disabled as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1382c; or

(b)  In the case of a lien on an individual’s home under subsection (1) of this section, when none of the following is lawfully residing in such home who has lawfully resided in such home on a continuous basis since the date of the individual’s admission to the medical institution:

(i)   A sibling of the individual, who was residing in the individual’s home for a period of at least one (1) year immediately before the date of the individual’s admission to the medical institution; or

(ii)  A son or daughter of the individual, who was residing in the individual’s home for a period of at least two (2) years immediately before the date of the individual’s admission to the medical institution and who establishes to the satisfaction of the state that he or she provided care to such individual which permitted such individual to reside at home rather than in an institution.

(6)  The director shall promulgate rules reasonably necessary to implement this section including, but not limited to, rules establishing undue hardship waivers, as provided in section 56-218(7), Idaho Code, and a procedure for notice and opportunity for hearing on the department’s determination that an individual cannot reasonably be expected to be discharged from a medical institution and to return home.

History:

[56-218A, added 1995, ch. 105, sec. 2, p. 337; am. 1997, ch. 205, sec. 3, p. 613; am. 2006, ch. 179, sec. 3, p. 557; am. 2010, ch. 235, sec. 45, p. 583.]