As mentioned previously, MA-EPD is a program for employed persons with disabilities, so that means the clients on MA-EPD are employed or are self-employed in some way. For more information on the types of payments considered earned income from employment for MA-EPD, click on the icon below to access the Health Care Programs Manual.
What happens if someone on MA-EPD loses their job due to layoff, medical reasons, work performance, etc.? Keep reading and you will find the answers!
When an MA-EPD enrollee requires a temporary leave from work for medical reasons, allow up to four calendar months of leave from work without receipt of earned income. The leave begins the month after the enrollee is unable to work. Require a physician's statement to verify the need for medical leave. This exception does not apply for MA-EPD applicants in the month of application or for any retro months.
An MA-EPD enrollee who loses employment for reasons not related to or caused by work performance may be eligible for MA-EPD for up to four months without earnings. The reason for the job loss has to be directly related to employment and the employer such as layoff, plant shut down/closed or lack of work.
Enrollees who become unemployed while on a medical leave from their jobs may remain enrolled for four additional months following the month they are officially laid off.
Enrollees who are on a four-month extension of MA-EPD due to job loss unrelated to work performance cannot have further eligibility with a subsequent medical leave.
Enrollees who become unemployed due to poor work performance or any other reason attributable to them are not eligible for the four-month extension.
Enrollees who are seasonally or temporarily employed are not eligible for the four-month extension when laid off at the end of the work season. The four-month extension applies only to enrollees with employment that has no known end date. If laid off during the time they expected to work, allow the extension of MA-EPD up to the known end date but do not exceed four months.
If an MA-EPD enrollee is age 65 or older and they were enrolled in MA-EPD at least 24 consecutive months prior to the month of the person’s 65th birthday and they want to remain on basic MA, then the income owned by a person’s spouse is disregarded when determining basic MA eligibility for as long as there is no break in MA eligiblity for one calendar month or more.
Click on the icon below for some examples.
