Wis. Admin. Code Office of the Commissioner of Insurance § 2
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM NOTICE
Important Consumer Information Regarding the Wisconsin Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership Program
Some long-term care insurance policies [certificates] sold in Wisconsin may qualify for the Wisconsin Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership Program (the Partnership Program). The Partnership Program is a partnership between state government and private insurance companies to assist individuals in planning their long-term care needs. Insurance companies voluntarily agree to participate in the Partnership Program by offering long-term care insurance coverage that meets certain State and Federal requirements. Long-term care insurance policies [certificates] that qualify as Qualifying Partnership Policies [Certificates] may protect the policyholder's [certificateholder's] assets through a feature known as "Asset Disregard" under Wisconsin's Medicaid program.
Asset Disregard means that amount of the policyholder's [certificateholder's] assets equal to the amount of long-term care insurance benefits received under a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate] will be disregarded for the purpose of determining the insured's eligibility for Medicaid. This generally allows a person to keep assets equal to the insurance benefits received under a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate] without affecting the person's eligibility for Medicaid. The disregarded assets are also exempt from estate recovery. All other Medicaid eligibility criteria will apply and special rules may apply to persons whose home equity exceeds $750,000. Asset Disregard is available under a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate]. Therefore, you should consider if Asset Disregard is important to you, and whether a Qualifying Partnership Policy meets your needs. The purchase of a Qualifying Partnership Policy does not automatically qualify you for Medicaid.
What are the Requirements for a Partnership Policy [Certificate]? In order for a policy [certificate] to qualify as a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate], it shall, among other requirements:
· Have an effective date on or after January 1, 2009;
· Be issued to an individual who was a Wisconsin resident when coverage first becomes effective under the policy;
· Be a tax-qualified policy under s. 7702(B)(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
· Meet certain consumer protection standards; and,
· Meet the following inflation requirements:
· For persons age 60 or younger - provide compound annual inflation protection of at least 3%.
· For persons age 61-75 - provide annual inflation protection of at least 3% not compounded.
· For persons age 76 and older - there are no requirements for purchasing inflation protection.
If you apply and are approved for long-term care insurance coverage, [carrier name] will provide you with written documentation as to whether or not your policy [certificate] is a Qualifying Partnership Policy.
You should also be aware that insurers are required to provide personally identifying information, including your name, to the federal government to be entered into a federal data base to which state Medicaid departments will have access.
What Could Disqualify a Policy [Certificate] from Continuing to be a Qualifying Partnership Policy? Certain types of changes to a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate] could affect whether or not such policy [certificate]continues to be a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate]. If you purchase a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate] and later decide to make a change, you should first consult with [carrier name] to determine the effect of the proposed changes. In addition, if you move to a state that does not maintain a Partnership Program or does not recognize your policy [certificate] as a Qualifying Partnership Policy [Certificate], you would not receive treatment of you policy [certificate] under the Medicaid program of that state. However, the coverage under your policy will not be affected. The information contained in this disclosure is based upon current Wisconsin and Federal laws. These laws may be subject to change. Any change in law could modify, reduce or eliminate the treatment of your policy [certificate] under Wisconsin's Medicaid program.
Additional Information: If you have questions regarding long-term care insurance policies [certificates] please contact [carrier name]. If you have questions regarding current laws governing Wisconsin Medicaid eligibility, you should contact State of Wisconsin Member Services at 1-800-362-3002.
Wis. Admin. Code Office of the Commissioner of Insurance § 2