At the moment a temporary absence due to confinement in a Medicaid facility ends (for
a reason other than return to the permanent living arrangement), the individual is
abandoning his previous permanent living arrangement unless there is a new period of temporary absence. A new period of temporary absence is possible as long as the individual still intends
to return to the permanent living arrangement.
EXAMPLE: Mrs. Hull lives alone in an apartment she rents, and she receives no ISM. On May
15 she leaves her apartment to enter a nursing home. Medicaid pays for her care, and
she is subject to the $30 Federal payment limit for June. (SI 00520.140 does not apply because her doctor expected her stay in the home to exceed 90 days.)
Mrs. Hull leaves the nursing home on August 30 and goes to her daughter's home, where
she plans to stay for a few weeks until she has regained enough strength to manage
by herself. Her daughter accepts no payment from Mrs. Hull for staying there. Mrs.
Hull returns to her apartment on September 23. When her temporary absence due to confinement
in a Medicaid facility ends in August, she starts a new period of temporary absence.
The second period (August 30 through Septemper 23) is a temporary absence for reasons
other than confinement in a Medicaid facility or school attendance. Since her stay
at her daughter's home was also temporary, we do not charge Mrs. Hull with ISM for
September.