Medicaid Budget Groups (TANF)

Household Size/Budget Group Quick Forms Reference

TANF

1. Budget Groups (Household Size)
   • A budget group includes members of a household whose needs, income and assets are considered in determining eligibility. This group may include members who are eligible for the medical program and members who are not eligible for the medical program. The certified group’s composition depends on the type of medical program.
   • Utilize the Household Size/Budget Group Quick Reference, to determine budget groups for MAP (Household Size), Medicaid and CHIP.
2. Medicaid Budget Groups:
   1. For Medicaid budget groups do not include any of the following:
      • Persons who do not meet age and relationship requirements
      • SSI recipients
      • Siblings of children in the budget and certified group whom the parent/caretaker chooses to exclude. If a child is excluded, the child must remain excluded for all Medicaid programs. A parent/caretaker may not exclude a child from the parent/caretaker’s budget group. If a child is excluded from the child’s sibling’s budget group, the parent/caretaker of the excluded child cannot receive Medicaid.
      • Children receiving foster care or adoption assistance
      • Residents of state supported living centers or institutions
      • Payees
      • Married minor siblings
   2. The following special situations may apply when determining budget groups for Medicaid:
      • When a court terminates the relationship between a biological or adoptive parent and child, a legal parent/child relationship does not exist between the two individuals and that parent no longer has a legal parent/child relationship to that child, nor to any of the child’s children who are born after the date the parental rights were terminated.
      • A legal parent/child relationship is created when an individual adopts a child.
      • A legal parent-child relationship exists between a child and:
        • an adoptive parent by proof of adoption,
        • the mother by proof of having given birth to the child, or
        • A man if one of the following conditions exist:
      • He and the mother married (including a common-law marriage) in apparent compliance with the law before the child’s birth (even if the marriage is or could be voided), and the child was born
        • While they were married; or
        • Within 300 days after the marriage terminated.
      • He and the mother married (including a common-law marriage) in apparent compliance with the law after the child’s birth (even if the marriage is or could be voided), and he
        • Filed a paternity suit, including a statement of paternity in court;
        • Is named the father on the child’s birth certificate; or
        • Has a written obligation to support the child voluntarily or by court order.
      • The courts determine that he is the biological father.
      • If there is no other legal father, a legal parent-child relationship exists between a man and a child if one of the following conditions exists:
        • He and the mother do not marry, but he consents in writing to be named as the child’s father on the child’s birth certificate.
        • Before the child turns 18, the child lived with him and he holds out to the public that he is the child’s father.
        • He signs an acknowledgement of paternity (AOP) with the Office of Attorney General or Vital Statistics Unit. The child’s mother must also be available to sign the AOP.

Note: Not Disqualified for SNAP

If an individual has a felony drug conviction in Texas or another state after August 22, 1996 for possession or use or distribution of a controlled substance they are no longer permanently disqualified.

For individuals with felony drug convictions occurring on or after September 1, 2015. Staff must verify whether an individual is complying with the conditions of their parole or community supervision (more commonly known as probation) related to a felony drug conviction occurring on or after September 1, 2015, at each application, redetermination, and when adding a new individual with a felony drug conviction at a change for SNAP.

Staff must use the Form H1806, Parole/Community Supervision Report (under Flyers and Forms), to obtain the individual’s signed statement of compliance or noncompliance with the conditions of their parole or community supervision. Form H1806 is currently the only acceptable verification for compliance of parole or community supervision.