1. (a) Information collected to determine eligibility for services, whether collected by HHSC staff or provider agencies, is confidential.
2. (b) The applicant is entitled to an interview during HHSC's determination of an applicant's eligibility for Community Care Services Eligibility (CCSE) services. A person who is already receiving services from HHSC or for whom the Social Security Administration has already verified that income and resources are below the CCSE income or resource limit is not required to submit an application.
3. (c) An applicant or the applicant's responsible person applying for services provided with regard to income must sign an application for assistance form. A non-Medicaid applicant or the applicant's responsible person applying for retroactive reimbursement for Medicaid-covered attendant services must also sign an application for assistance form. The date of application is the date HHSC receives the signed application. Applicants must provide accurate information about income and resources.
4. (d) Eligibility for CCSE services for an income-eligible applicant is determined within 30 calendar days after a signed application is received. For categorically-eligible applicants, eligibility must be determined within 30 calendar days after either the applicant's assessment or face-to-face contact with the caseworker, whichever comes first. No further action is needed if the person withdraws the request for services before the assessment is started or completed, an application form is received, or a face-to-face contact is made.
5. (e) Non-Medicaid applicants or the applicant's responsible person applying for Medicaid-covered attendant services may be reimbursed for services provided up to three months before the month of receipt of a completed, signed, and dated application.
6. (f) The client must report promptly any changes in income, resources, or family size; loss of assistance grant or Medicaid benefits; or other changes in functional ability or circumstances that affect eligibility. The client is subject to fraud prosecution if the client willfully fails to report changes and continues to receive services for which the client is not eligible.

7. (g) A Medicaid-certified applicant for CCSE-purchased services who requires a verbal referral is eligible to receive CCSE-purchased services when the applicant's eligibility for Medicaid is verified. A non-Medicaid certified applicant who meets the requirements for a verbal referral is eligible to receive CCSE-purchased services while income and resources are verified.

   1. (1) To be eligible, this applicant must:

      1. (A) be a new applicant for CCSE services or programs;
      2. (B) appear to be eligible based on the declaration of income and resources on the applicant's application for services or have possession of a current Medicaid card; and
      3. (C) meet the age and need criteria for the CCSE service the applicant requires.
   2. (2) The eligibility period for non-Medicaid applicants begins on the date of application.
   3. (3) To continue receiving services, a non-Medicaid client must provide within 30 days of the application date the information needed to verify the client's income and resource amounts.

Source Note:The provisions of this §271.151 adopted to be effective February 1, 1989, 13 TexReg 5751; amended to be effective June 1, 1991, 16 TexReg 2053; amended to be effective October 1, 1995, 20 TexReg 6830; amended to be effective July 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5327; amended to be effective April 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 1897; transferred effective September 15, 2023, as published in the August 18, 2023, issue of the Texas Register, 48 TexReg 4523; amended to be effective September 10, 2025, 50 TexReg 5936.