Guardianships
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Guardianships


Revised August 20, 2008



Purpose: Many individuals receiving services through Home and Community Services (HCS) and Developmental Disability Services (DDD) or Mental Health Division (RSN) have court ordered guardianships. This section gives information on who to send the court documents if received by the CSO or HCS financial worker and information on guardianships.

Chapter 388-79 WAC

Guardianship fees for clients of the department

These rules implement RCW 11.92.180 and 43.20B.460  to the extent that those statutes require the department to establish by rule the maximum amount of guardianship fees and additional compensation for administrative costs that may be allowed by the court for a guardian or limited guardian of an incapacitated person who is a Medicaid client of the department and is thus required by federal law to contribute to the cost of the client's long-term care.


Clarifying Information

Guardianship fees described in chapter 388-79 WAC are allowed as a post eligibility deduction when determining participation for long-term care Medicaid programs.  These are DDD and HCS Waivers and individuals who are receiving LTC Medicaid in a Medical institution.  Financial workers receive a copy of the final order describing the guardian/attorney fees allowed by the court.

WAC 388-515-1505 Describes the determination of participation for HCS CN-P Waivers. 

WAC 388-515-1510  Describes the determination of participation for DDD Waivers

WAC 388-513-1380  Describes the determination of participation for those in medical institutions.

Once the department has a court order, the department must allow the expense in the post eligibility process for the C01 Waivers and L02 Institutional programs.

The combination of PNA, mandatory taxes, wages, guardianship fees and administrative costs cannot exceed the MNIL for clients in a medical institution.  (WAC 388-513-1380 (4) ).  There are times when the guardianship and/or administrative fees are over the amount allowed in a month (MNIL).  It may take 2 or more months to allow for the administrative cost and guardianship fee. 

For Waivers in an alternate living facility (ALF) , an ETR to is needed to allow administrative costs or guardianship fees out of room and board.  The deduction from service participation must always come first before allowing a deduction from room and board.   

Guardianship fees are not an allowed deduction when determining eligibility for SSI related medical programs such as S-series or G03.

Guardianship fees are coded on the LTCX, LTC expense screen in ACES for the K, C and L track programs. 

 

 


Worker Responsibilities

Chapter 388-79 WAC states the guardian must notify the Regional office of the agency authorizing services prior to a court date to authorize guardianship fees.  The guardians should be notifying the Regional Office of the agency authorizing services directly of the court notification.  This would be either the HCS or DDD Regional Designee. For Mental Health, this would be the RSN.

  The department is entitled to be notified by the guardian/attorney of the court proceedings as described in RCW 11.92.150.  If the department decides to contest the proposed fees and costs, it is the responsibility of the HCS, DDD Regional designee to start that process. 

For clients receiving services with HCS, each HCS regional office has a designee who is notified by the guardian.   The HCS regional designee will notify of the HCS financial worker of the court order.  For HCS Waiver clients in an ALF, approved guardianship fees must be deducted from personal care participation first.  An ETR must be submitted to the Regional designee for approval before a deduction from room and board is allowed.  Guardianship fees are coded on the LTCX screen, any approved ETR from room and board is coded as an ETR on the LTCX screen. 

HCS Regional Contacts:

Region 1:  Terry Brauner FAX (509) 329-3642

Region 2:  Annie Vasquez FAX (509) 575-2284

Region 3:  Norma Cook FAX (360) 416-7402

Region 4:  Harold Kawakami FAX (206) 341-7607

Region 5:  Dan Lengyel FAX (253) 597-4161

Region 6: Gail Hamlin FAX (360)664-7603

For clients receiving services through DDD the financial worker needs to fax or mail the guardianship court notices and documents to the following DDD Regional Designee:

DDD Regional and Facility Contacts

Region 1:

Kim Abe-Gunter

Fax 509-568-3037

611 West Indiana Ave

Spokane WA  99205-4221

Region 2:

Tory Fiedler

Fax 509-574-5607

PO Box 12500 Yakima WA  98909-2500

Region 3:

Randy Burge

Fax 425-339-4856

840 North Broadway 1st Fl Bldg A Ste 100

Everett, WA  98201-1288

Region 4:

Martha Gluck

Fax 206-720-3334

1700 East Cherry St

Seattle WA  98122

Region 5 (and Frances Haddon Morgan Center RHC)

Cathy Andres-Ebbert

Fax 253-597-4368

1305 Tacoma Ave South Ste 300

Tacoma WA  98402

Region 6

Anna Facio

Fax 360-725-4250

PO Box 45315 Olympia WA  98504-5313

DDD Facilities  Guardianship paperwork is sent or faxed to: 

Lakeland Village RHC

Laura Ryan

Fax 509-299-1070

PO Box 200 Medical Lake WA 99022-0220

Yakima Valley School

Cris Sideris

Fax 509-697-2182

609 Speyers Rd

Selah WA  98942

Fircrest School

Lura Dunn

Fax 206-361-3035

15230 15th NE

Shoreline WA  98155-7196

Rainier School

Alan McLaughlin

PO Box 600

Buckley WA  98321-0600

The financial worker allows guardianship fees and administrative fees as a deduction in determining participation for waivers and instiututional medicaid once there is an approved court order as described in WAC 388-513-1380 and WAC 388-79.

 

If the court order indicates in excess of the amount allowed by WAC 388-79, contact the Regional Designee indicated above for DDD cases. 

 

Chapter 11.92 RCW Guardianship-powers and duties of guardian or limited guardian 

 

 

 

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Modification Date: August 20, 2008
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