OAR 461-135-0835
Limits on Estate Claims
(1)
The Estate Administration Unit is designated and authorized to administer the estate recovery program for the Oregon Health Authority and the Department of Human Services, and to present and file claims for payment. The Manager and Assistant Manager of the Estate Administration Unit, Estate Administrators, Assistant Estate Administrators, and Accounts Receivable Specialist are authorized to present, file, and resolve claims for the Estate Administration Unit. The Manager or Assistant Manager may designate other individuals to present, file, or resolve claims. This rule sets out some of these claims.(2)
For the OSIP program (see OAR 461-101-0010 (Program Acronyms and Overview)):(a)
The amount of any payments or benefits, including an overpayment (see OAR 461-195-0501 (Definitions and Categories of Overpayments)), are a claim against the probate estate (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)) of any deceased recipient.(b)
The claim for correctly paid payments or benefits under OSIP are deferred until the death of the spouse (see OAR 461-001-0000 (Definitions for Chapter 461)) or registered domestic partner (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)), if any, of the deceased recipient.(c)
If the deceased recipient has no probate estate, the enforcement of the claim has been deferred, or there are insufficient resources in the probate estate to pay the claim in full, the probate estate of the spouse or registered domestic partner of the deceased recipient, if any, is charged for any payments or benefits paid under OSIP to the deceased recipient, the spouse, or registered domestic partner.(d)
The claim for correctly paid payments or benefits under OSIP may not be enforced if the deceased recipient is survived by a child under age 21 (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)), a child with a disability (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)), or a child with a visual impairment (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)); and the child survives to the closing of the probate estate.(e)
Transfers of real or personal property without adequate consideration, by recipients of payments or benefits under OSIP, are voidable and may be set aside under ORS 411.620 (Recovery of public assistance or medical assistance obtained or disposed of unlawfully).(f)
Except when there is a surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, or a surviving child under age 21, a child with a disability, or a child with a visual impairment, the amount of any payments or benefits provided is a claim against the estate (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)) in any conservatorship proceedings and may be paid pursuant to ORS 125.495 (Payment of claims against estate or protected person).(3)
For General Assistance (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)):(a)
The amounts of any payments or benefits, including overpayments, are a claim against the probate estate of any deceased recipient. The amount includes the state’s monthly contribution, paid prior to January 1, 2014, to the federal government for the recipient’s Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Effective July 1, 2016, any correctly paid benefits under Oregon Laws 2016, chapter 93, section 1 are excluded, except than an overpayment of benefits under Oregon Laws 2016, chapter 93, section 1 is included in a claim against the probate estate.(b)
The claim for correctly paid payments or benefits under the General Assistance program is deferred until the death of the spouse or registered domestic partner, if any, of the deceased recipient.(c)
If the deceased recipient has no probate estate, the enforcement of the claim has been deferred, or there are insufficient resources in the probate estate to pay the claim in full, then the probate estate of the spouse or registered domestic partner of the deceased recipient, if any, is charged for any payments or benefits to the deceased recipient, the spouse, or registered domestic partner.(d)
The claim for correctly paid payments or benefits under the General Assistance program may not be enforced if the deceased recipient is survived by a child under age 21, a child with a disability, or a child with a visual impairment; and the child survives to the closing of the probate estate.(e)
Except when there is a surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, or a surviving child under age 21, a child with a disability, or child with a visual impairment, the amount of any assistance paid is a claim against the estate in any conservatorship proceedings and may be paid pursuant to ORS 125.495 (Payment of claims against estate or protected person).(4)
For Medical Assistance (MA, as defined in OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)):(a)
In determining the extent of the estate resources subject to the claim of the Department for correctly paid benefits, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the Department must disregard resources in an amount equal to the value (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)) of resources excluded in the most recent eligibility determination under OAR 461-160-0855 (Excluded Resources for Payments Received Under a Qualified Partnership Policy; OSIPM), based on payments received under a qualified partnership policy (see OAR 461-001-0000 (Definitions for Chapter 461)). The disregard of resources specific to the estate recovery claim applies to MA benefits received after the effective date of the MA eligibility determination in which a qualified partnership policy was considered and approved. The amount of any MA incurred in a prior MA eligibility period where qualified partnership policy benefits were not considered is not subject to the estate resource disregard.(b)
There is no disregard of resources under subsection (a) of this section if the recipient, or the spouse of the recipient, at any time transferred the value of the qualified partnership policy excluded resource amount to another individual for less than fair market value prior to the death of the recipient or the recipient’s spouse, or exhausted the disregarded resource amount by purchasing things of value to the recipient or the recipient’s spouse while either was living.(c)
The amount of any incorrectly paid payments or benefits, excluding an administrative error overpayment, are a claim, against the probate estate of any deceased recipient.(d)
The claim for correctly paid payments or benefits under MA is deferred until the death of the surviving spouse, if any, of the deceased recipient. After the death of a surviving spouse, the deferred claim of the deceased recipient is a claim against the following assets (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)) or their proceeds in the estate of the spouse. The Department has a claim against the estate of the spouse for medical assistance (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)) paid to the recipient, but only to the extent that the spouse received property or other assets from the recipient through any of the following:(A)
Probate.(B)
Operation of law.(f)
An MA claim in an estate includes:(A)
The amount of any payments or benefits paid prior to October 1, 1993 to or on behalf of a recipient 65 years of age or older are a claim against the probate estate of any deceased recipient.(B)
The amount of any payments or benefits, paid on or after October 1, 1993 and prior to July 18, 1995, to or on behalf of a recipient 55 years of age or older are a claim against the probate estate of any deceased recipient.(C)
The amount of any payments or benefits, paid on or after July 18, 1995 and prior to October 1, 2013, to or on behalf of a recipient 55 years of age or older are a claim against the estate of any deceased recipient. All correctly made payments on or after January 1, 2010 for Medicare cost sharing (see OAR 461-135-0832 (Estate Administration; Definitions)) are excluded from a claim.(D)
The amount of any payments or benefits, paid October 1, 2013 or later, to or on behalf of a recipient 55 years of age or older, during the time the Department was paying any of the cost of care of the individual in a nursing facility, home and community based care (see OAR 461-001-0030 (Definitions; OSIP, OSIPM Long-Term Care or Home and Community-Based Care)), or in home services through the State Plan Personal Care Services (see OAR 411-034-0010 (Definitions)), are a claim against the estate of any deceased recipient. All correctly made payments on or after January 1, 2010 for Medicare cost sharing are excluded from a claim.(5)
The amount paid, for a recipient age 55 or older, after December 31, 2013, to the federal government for the recipient’s Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage is a claim against the estate of the deceased recipient.(6)
For trusts under OAR 461-145-0540 (Trusts)(10), upon termination of the trust or upon the death of the original beneficiary the trust pays to the State or States from such remaining amounts in the trust an amount equal to the total amount of medical assistance paid on behalf of the original beneficiary. The State or States must be listed as the first payee or payees and first remainder beneficiary or beneficiaries, and have priority over payment of other debts and administrative expenses, and other beneficiaries, except as allowed in subsection (a) of this section. Subsections (4)(d) and(4)(e) of this rule do not apply to this section.(a)
Allowable administrative expenses payable before any State include:(A)
Taxes due from the trust, excluding taxes due from the beneficiary, to the State or States or federal government because of the death of the beneficiary; and(B)
Reasonable fees for administration of the trust estate such as an accounting of the trust to a court, completion and filing of documents, or other required actions associated with termination and wrapping up of the trust. Trustee fees or conservator fees, not both, are limited to the month of the original beneficiary’s death and the prior month.(i)
For a person that is a trustee, but not a conservator, trustee fees after the month of death, if claimed, must be reasonable and approved by the by the Department prior to payment.(ii)
For a person that is a conservator and trustee, conservator fees after the month of death, if claimed, must be approved by the court, after the Department is given notice and opportunity to object.(b)
Upon the death of the original beneficiary, the following expenses and payments are examples of some of the types not permitted prior to reimbursement of the State or States for medical assistance:(A)
Taxes due from the estate of the beneficiary other than those arising from inclusion of the trust in the estate;(B)
Payment of debts owed to third parties;(C)
Trustee or conservator fees, except as allowed by subsection (a) of this section;(D)
Funeral expenses; and(E)
Payments to residual beneficiaries.
Source:
Rule 461-135-0835 — Limits on Estate Claims, https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/view.action?ruleNumber=461-135-0835.