Rule 23-103-6.4 - Treatment of Annuities Purchased on or after February 8, 2006 The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), P.L. 109-171 adds new requirements to the Medicaid statute with respect to the treatment of annuities purchased on or after the date of enactment, February 8, 2006, by or on behalf of an annuitant who has applied for Medicaid for nursing facility services or other long-term care services. The DRA requirements also apply to certain other transactions involving annuities that take place on or after the date of enactment that are described below.
A. Disclosure Requirement 1. At each application and annual review for Medicaid eligibility, all long-term care applicants or beneficiaries are required to disclose any interest the applicant/beneficiary or community spouse may have in an annuity or similar financial instrument. Parents of a minor child must report any annuities in which the child may have an interest. 2. This disclosure is a condition for Medicaid eligibility for long-term care services, including nursing facility services and home and community-based waiver services (HCBS) and applies regardless of whether or not an annuity is irrevocable or is treated as a resource. 3. Refusal to disclose sufficient information related to any annuity will result in denial or termination of Medicaid eligibility, based on the applicant or beneficiary's failure to cooperate in accordance with existing Medicaid policies. 4. When an unreported annuity is discovered after eligibility has been established and after payment for long-term care services has been made, appropriate steps to terminate payment for long-term care services will be taken, including allowing for rebuttal and advance notice. B. Annuity-Related Transactions Other than Purchases Made on or after February 8, 2006. 1. In addition to purchases of annuities, certain related transactions which occur to annuities on or after February 8, 2006, make an annuity, including one purchased before that date, subject to all provisions of the DRA that went into effect on February 8, 2006. 2. Any action taken on or after February 8, 2006, by the individual that changes the course of payment to be made by the annuity or the treatment of the income or principal of the annuity result in the annuity being treated as if purchased on or after February 8, 2006. These actions include: a) Additions of principal, c) Requests to change the distribution of the annuity, and d) Elections to annuitize the contract and similar actions. 3. For annuities purchased prior to February 8, 2006, routine changes and automatic events that do not require any action or decision after the effective date are not considered transactions that would subject the annuity to treatment under the DRA provisions. Routine changes could be notification of an address change or death or divorce of a remainder beneficiary and similar circumstances. 4. Changes which occur based on the terms of the annuity which existed prior to February 8, 2006, and which do not require a decision, election or action to take effect are also not subject to the DRA. C. Requirement to Name the Division of Medicaid as Remainder Beneficiary on Annuities 1. The purchase of an annuity within the five (5) year look back-period and in all subsequent months will be treated as a transfer of assets unless the Division of Medicaid is named as a remainder beneficiary in the correct position as described herein. a) This requirement applies to annuities purchased by the applicant or spouse and to certain annuity-related transactions other than purchases made by the applicant or spouse. b) An annuity must name the Division of Medicaid as the remainder beneficiary in the first position for the total amount of Medicaid assistance paid on behalf of the institutionalized beneficiary who is the annuitant unless there is a community spouse and/or a minor or disabled child. c) If there is a community spouse and/or minor or disabled child, the Division of Medicaid may be named in the next position after those individuals. d) If the Division of Medicaid is named beneficiary after a community spouse and/or minor or disabled child, and any of those individuals or their representatives dispose of any of the remainder of the annuity for less than fair market value, the Division of Medicaid must then be named in the first position. e) If verification is not provided which reflects the Division of Medicaid as remainder beneficiary in the correct position on annuities purchased by the institutionalized spouse or community spouse, the purchase of the annuity will be considered a transfer for less than fair market value. The full purchase value of the annuity will be considered the amount transferred. 2. An annuity purchased prior to the five (5) year look -back period is treated as a resource and/or income source, depending on the terms of the annuity as outlined in Miss. Admin Part 103, Rule 6.1D. Information Provided by the Division of Medicaid to Issuer 1. For any annuity disclosed for the applicant or community spouse, the Division of Medicaid must inform the issuer of the annuity of the Division of Medicaid's right to be named as a preferred remainder beneficiary and may require the issuer to notify the Division of Medicaid regarding any changes in amount of income or principal being withdrawn from the annuity. 2. The issuer of the annuity may disclose information about the Division of Medicaid's position as remainder beneficiary to others who have a remainder interest in the annuity. E. Treatment of Annuities in Determining Eligibility for Long-Term Care 1. In addition to the requirement for the Division of Medicaid to be named as a remainder beneficiary for an annuity purchased by the institutionalized spouse or community spouse within the five (5) year look-back period and in all subsequent months, an annuity purchased by or on behalf of an annuitant who has applied for medical assistance with respect to nursing facility or other long-term care services will not be treated as a transfer of assets if purchased within the five (5) year look-back period or any subsequent month if certain conditions are met which are described below. 2. The annuity meets one of the following conditions for employment-related annuities that are treated as retirement funds: a) It is an individual retirement annuity according to (b) or (q) of section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986, or, b) The annuity is purchased with proceeds from an account or trust described in subsection (a), (c) or (p) of section 408 of the IRC, or, c) The annuity is purchased with proceeds from a simplified employee pension within the meaning of section 408 of the IRC, or, d) The annuity is purchased with the proceeds from a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) described in section 408A of the IRC. 3. The purchase of an annuity not described in Miss. Admin. Code Part 103, Rule 6.4.E .2. above will be considered a transfer of assets unless it meets all of the following requirements for every month in which elig ibility is being considered: a) The annuity is irrevocable and non-assignable, and, b) The annuity is actuarially sound as outlined in Miss. Admin. Code Part 103, Rule 6.5., andc) The annuity is providing payments in equal amounts during the term of the annuity with no deferred or balloon payments, and d) The annuity is issued by a business licensed and approved to issue commercial annuities in the state in which the annuity was purchased; and e) The Division of Medicaid has been named as beneficiary of the annuity in the correct position as outlined in Miss. Admin. Code Part 103, Rule 6.4.C. above.4. The purchase of a single-premium life insurance policy, endowment policy or similar instrument which has no cash value, and for which the individual receives no valuable consideration will be considered a transfer of assets if purchased within the five (5) year look-back period or any subsequent month. 5. To determine that an annuity is established under any of the various provisions of the IRC referenced above and/or meets all of the conditions required to be excluded from a transfer of assets penalty or counted as a resource, rely on verification from the financial institution, employer or employer association that issued the annuity. The burden of proof is on the individual or representative to produce needed documentation. The individual or representative must produce the annuity contract in order to evaluate the annuity. Without documentation, the purchase of an annuity will be considered a transfer of assets subject to a transfer penalty in the amount of the full purchase value of the annuity. 6. An annuity that does not meet the conditions cited above, or an annuity that is not changed to meet the necessary requirements and/or documentation that is not provided relating to an annuity will result in the annuity being treated as a transfer of assets if purchased within the five (5) year look-back period or any subsequent month using the full purchase value as the amount transferred. 7. Even if an annuity is determined to meet the requirements above and the purchase is not treated as a transfer, if the annuity or income stream from the annuity is transferred, that transfer may be subject to a penalty with the exception of transfers to a spouse or to another individual for the sole benefit of the spouse, to a minor or disabled child or to a Special Needs Trust. F. Consideration of Income from an Annuity 1. An annuity that does not comply with the requirements described in this chapter will be treated as a transfer of assets. During the penalty period, the income produced by the annuity counts as income to the individual or spouse, as appropriate, in determining eligibility and post-eligibility cost of care and spousal allocation, as applicable. 2. The income produced by an annuity that complies with the requirements in this chapter counts as income to the individual or spouse, as appropriate, in determining eligibility and post-eligibility cost of care and spousal allocation, as applicable. G. Requirements for the Community Spouse 1. Annuities purchased by the community spouse on or after February 8, 2006, must name the Division of Medicaid as the preferred remainder beneficiary. 2. The institutionalized spouse may not be named as a beneficiary ahead of the Division of Medicaid. 3. However, if there is a minor or disabled child, the child may be named as first beneficiary and the Division of Medicaid must be named in the next position after those individuals. 4. It does not matter if the community spouse's annuity is actuarially sound or provides payments in approximately equal amounts with no deferred or balloon payments. These provisions apply only to annuities purchased by or on behalf of the individual who has applied for medical assistance, not a community spouse. H. Estate Recovery 1. Annuities purchased on or after February 8, 2006, will be subject to estate recovery. 2. The rules for the institutional spouse and the community spouse are the same for annuities purchased prior to February 8, 2006.23 Miss. Code. R. § 103-6.4
42 U.S.C. § 1396p; Miss. Code Ann. § 43-13-121.