C—810  System for Application, Verification, Eligibility, Referrals, and Reports (SAVERR)

C—811  Notice of Application

All Programs

When a person applies for benefits, complete and submit Form H1000-A, Notice of Application (NOA), to create a record of the application. You will receive RG-01, NOA Report, with information about the applicants listed on the NOA.

If RG-01 is not received before certification, make a SAVERR inquiry or interview the individual to determine if he already has a case number or another application. If the individual has a previously assigned number, enter it on Form H1000-A and submit the form. After receiving RG-01, evaluate the information to verify the accuracy of the entries on Form H1000-A and take appropriate action.

All Forms H1000-A have a nine-digit application number. Unless reassigning a previous case number, the nine-digit NOA number becomes the case number by substituting zero for the leading alpha character in the application number.

C—812  Case Number

All Programs

A case represents a group of people who receive benefits under one case name. Each case is identified by a nine digit case number. Example: If a household is certified for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), assign one case number for the TANF case and another for the SNAP case. Reassign old case numbers according to guidelines in C-812.1.

C—812.1  Reassignment of Case Number

All Programs

Case numbers are kept according to the following guidelines:

Cases that fall into more than one category are kept for the longest period.

C—813  Client Number

All Programs

The first time a person is certified for Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) services, the System for Applications, Verifications, Eligibility Reports and Referral (SAVERR) assigns him a unique client number. Use the same client number for all programs. Reassign client numbers according to guidelines in C-813.1.

C—813.1  Reassignment of Client Number

All Programs

Client numbers are kept according to the following guidelines:

Client numbers that fall into more than one category are kept for the longest period.

C—814  Merge and Separate

All Programs

If a individual is erroneously assigned more than one client number, complete Section I of Form H1002, Client Record Merge/Separate Request, to SAVERR State Office Data Integrity (SODI). Before sending Form H1002, verify that each number belongs to the same person. If the individual is receiving duplicate benefits, send Form H1000-B, Record of Case Action, to stop the duplicate benefits before sending Form H1002.

If two or more individuals are erroneously assigned the same client number, complete Section II of Form H1002 to report the problem to SAVERR SODI. To assign new client numbers and separate the records, send SAVERR SODI a separate Form H1002 for each public assistance, SNAP or Service Authorization System individual who is assigned the same client number.

Regardless of the individual or case status, the advisor in the office where the case record is located must complete Form H1002 for that individual. The advisor who decides to separate a client number must notify the other offices involved.

After receiving Form H1002 to separate a client number and completing the separate process, state office sends an updated Form H1000-B reflecting the new client numbers. After submitting Form H1002 to separate a client's number, do not process a change until state office sends the updated Form H1000-B to the local office. If an advisor needs to process a change during the separate process, contact SAVERR SODI at 512-706-7181 for assistance in processing the change.

After receiving Form H1002 to merge a client number, state office does not send an updated Form H1000-B. State office sends an RG-03, Client File Referral Report, when the client number stays the same and in some situations when the client number changes. Use the current Form H1000-B to process any changes.

Process Form H1002 to separate client numbers before certification if there is no emergency and the application will not become delinquent by waiting for Form H1002 to process. In an emergency or to prevent a delinquency, process Form H1000-A using the client number assigned to both individuals, if this will not result in two active cases in the same program sharing the same client number. Send Form H1002 after certification to separate the duplicate client numbers.

C—815  Hierarchy of Client Identification Data

All Programs

Before certifying an applicant who already has a client number, compare information on SAVERR to the information in the case record. Note and clear any discrepancies with the individual.

SAVERR retains only one set of identification information for each individual. The advisor must make changes according to the hierarchy. The following priority applies:

• A program area providing benefits to an individual takes precedence over a program area not providing benefits. For example, TANF caretaker information takes precedence over TANF payee information and an active case takes precedence over a denied case.
• For name and birth date identification data,

• For sex and race identification data,

Note: If the Social Security Administration (SSA) validates the Social Security number (SSN) or claim number, the advisor cannot change the number on the Form H1000-A, Notice of Application, Form H1000-B, Record of Case Action, and Form H1000-C, Secondary Client Input. Use the existing number on file, and report the correct number by memorandum to SAVERR Data Integrity Section, Long-Term Care, State Office, Y-922.

Before certifying an applicant in another program area, check SAVERR for accuracy of identifying information. If the identifying information is incorrect, enter the correct information and the client number validator on the Form H1000-A, Form H1000-B and Form H1000-C (see Form H1000-A, Form H1000-B and Form H1000-C instructions).

Make corrections on the case with the highest priority. If the advisor attempts to make changes on a case without the highest priority, SAVERR will not update the information. Once the update processes, check associated cases. If the information was not updated on these cases, submit Form H1000-B with the correct information.

C—816  Transaction Definitions

All Programs

A transaction is defined as any case action requiring completion of Form H1000-A, Notice of Application, Form H1000-B, Record of Case Action, and Form H1000-C, Secondary Client Input. The entry in Item 78 or Item 131 shows the effort required to complete the transaction. Choose one of the following codes that most closely describe the transaction.

• Complete Review (C) — A complete eligibility decision. A documented decision to approve, deny, or sustain eligibility. The prerequisites of a complete review are receipt of a individual-completed application, a face-to-face or telephone interview with the individual, review of eligibility factors, and completion of a budget worksheet. Denials due to individuals filing an application but failing to keep the appointment are also complete reviews.
• Incomplete Review (I) — An incomplete eligibility review. A documented decision to sustain, change, or deny benefits on an active case. Do not require a individual-completed application and review only the applicable eligibility factors. Use an incomplete review to deny an ongoing TANF or Medical Programs case when the individual fails to return an application for review. Also, use an incomplete review to take action due to a change in circumstances, such as a change of address.
• Non-Review Activity (N) (Administrative Review) — Use a non-review activity for any purpose other than a complete eligibility decision or an incomplete eligibility review. Examples: Changes in budgeted job numbers or correction of erroneous entries.

C—817  Management Reports

All Programs

SAVERR produces a variety of management information reports. These reports and their instructions are in the Forms and Reports section of the handbook. The reports are organized according to following prefixes:

C—820  Data Broker

All Programs

HHSC contracts with a Data Broker vendor to provide financial and other background information about SNAP, TANF and Medicaid applicants and recipients. The vendor collects and combines information from several sources into one report. The report includes information such as residence address, individuals living at that address, vehicle and real property ownership, credit, employment, income verification (TALX) and other information reported to other sources.

Follow policy in C-920, Questionable Information, to resolve discrepancies between Data Broker information and information the applicant/recipient provided. In this situation:

• contact the household and allow the individual the opportunity to explain the discrepancy; or
• send the household Form H1020, Request for Information or Action, requesting information or proof to resolve the discrepancy.

Otherwise, the advisor can use Data Broker sources when specifically listed in policy as acceptable verification, such as TWC, TALX, property taxes (SNAP), etc.

Federal law limits the use of credit reports. See C-824, Permissible Purpose, for information about these limits. Permissible purpose means the individual whose credit report is requested must be:

• an applicant or a certified TANF, SNAP or Medicaid household member (or a member who would be certified but is disqualified); or
• a Medicaid budget group member.

Staff may request a credit report before the initial interview only on the individual who signed Form H1010, Application for Assistance, or on those individuals for whom the applicant indicated he is applying for on Form H1010. Others on Form H1010, although living in the household, may not be members of the case. If the individual who signed Form H1010 is an authorized representative but not a household member, do not request a credit report before the interview.

Use the chart below to determine when to request a Data Broker Combined Report, with or without credit information:

Notes:

• Data Broker Combined Reports with or without credit reports are not required for households who apply for or receive SNAP Combined Application Project (FS-CAP), SNAP Supplemental Security Income (FS-SSI) or Texas Women's Health Program (TWHP). However, staff may request a combined Data Broker Combined Report if needed to obtain verification or a Combined Report with a credit report if needed to resolve discrepancies in reported information (such as negative management, as in the chart above).
• On independent children or child-only cases, request a Data Broker Report on the child only if the advisor believes there are unreported assets, income or other information that would affect the child's eligibility.
• On reported changes, use the interactive search feature in the Data Broker stand-alone system to request a specific type of report according to the change, i.e., earned income – TALX/TWC, child support – OAG.

HHSC receives credit information from two reporting agencies: CSC (Equifax) Credit Information Services and Experian. The credit bureau source varies depending upon the geographical location (ZIP code) of the applicant's or individual's address. Each credit bureau has its own codes. These codes are found under the HELP link in the stand-alone system.

Designated staff request and review a Data Broker report for:

• clues to unreported income, resources and household members; and
• vehicle and property value verification for all programs and property taxes for SNAP.

C—821  Access Permission

All Programs

New Users — Through the Security Access System (SAS), supervisors/managers complete and submit Form 4743, Request for Applications and System Access, for each employee who needs initial access to the Data Broker system. Managers obtain a recently signed Data Broker Security Agreement form for each employee who needs access. In the comment field of Form 4743, the supervisor/manager annotates the date the Data Broker Security Agreement was signed. Once added to the system, the user receives an email containing a temporary password link and further instructions. The user must then successfully complete the initial web-based training and assessment(s) for the appropriate program area. The required training is in the Data Broker stand-alone system located at https://nofraud.hhsc.state.tx.us/. Once training is successfully completed in the stand-alone system, the user automatically has access to the Data Broker interface in TIERS and the Data Broker stand-alone system.

Note: The user has two attempts to score at least 70% on the assessment to obtain full Data Broker system access.

Inactive Users — Staff must access the system at least every 90 days or the system deactivates them. Once deactivated, staff must request reactivation through the Regional IT Help Desk or through the state Data Broker coordinator. Once reactivated, the user will receive an email containing a temporary password link and further instructions. The user must then successfully complete a refresher web-based training and an assessment for the employee’s appropriate program area. The required training is in the Data Broker stand-alone system located at https://nofraud.hhsc.state.tx.us/. Once training is successfully completed in the stand-alone system, the user automatically has access to the Data Broker interface in TIERS and the Data Broker stand-alone system.

Note: The user has two attempts to score at least 70% on the assessment to obtain full Data Broker system access.

C—822  Data Broker Passwords

All Programs

Once training is successfully completed, the user is directed to the User Options page to create a unique password. Staff can change their password at any time. To change a password, click on the User Options field on the Dallas Computer Services (DCS) Search Options Menu. Enter a new password, confirmation of the password and the user's email address in the appropriate fields. The user then clicks Update My Options to save the changes. The user must log out then log back into the system to retain the changes.

Forgotten Passwords — Staff who have forgotten their password can use the Forgot your Password? link, and a temporary password link will be sent to the email address associated with the user’s account. If no email address is listed on the account, the user can request a password reset through the Regional IT Help Desk or the state Data Broker coordinator. Training is not required.

C—823  Login Procedures – Stand-alone System

All Programs

To access the Data Broker stand-alone system, go to: https://nofraud.hhsc.state.tx.us/. To log on, the user enters a User ID (11-digit employee identification number) and unique password and clicks Login.

Note: By checking the Remember Login? box, the system will store only the user’s employee identification number (which is the same as the User ID). The system will not store the password.

The first time a user logs on two screens appear. The first screen is the Application for Password – HHSC Office of Eligibility Services. The user must read the screen and click "I understand and agree" to indicate he understands that Data Broker information can be obtained only for business purposes and is confidential. If the user clicks "I disagree," Data Broker does not allow access to the system.

The second screen is the Additional Authorization for Access to Request Credit Reports screen. The user must first read the screen. If the user has completed Data Broker training, the user should click "I understand the above and agree" to acknowledge that the individual:

• has been adequately trained on the Fair Credit Reporting Act; and
• agrees to only order a credit report when permissible purpose exists.

If the user is unsure or has not completed training regarding the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the user should click "I disagree" and contact a supervisor. By clicking "I disagree," the user cannot access credit reports. If this should occur, the page can only be redisplayed if the user contacts the Regional IT Help Desk or the state Data Broker coordinator, who will reset the page. If the page is not reset, the user may request all reports but will not receive a credit report.

C—823.1  Online Help Feature

The Online Help feature is available in the Data Broker stand-alone system and includes instructions and sample screens to assist staff with understanding the different types of reports available in the Data Broker system. This feature is located on the left navigational bar in the Data Broker stand-alone system. To activate this feature, click the Help link, and a pop-up window will display.

C—824  Permissible Purpose

All Programs

Federal law in FCRA covers access to and use of credit reports. FCRA permits HHSC to request credit information on individuals in the course of determining eligibility for programs it administers. HHSC may not request credit information for purposes other than eligibility determination. The law requires permissible purpose before HHSC may legally request a credit report. Permissible purpose means the individual whose credit report is requested must be:

• an applicant or a certified TANF, SNAP or Medicaid household member (or a member who would be certified but is disqualified); or
• a Medicaid budget group member.

Note: Do not request a:

• credit report on a payee case unless the responsible relative is the child's parent.
• credit report using an invalid social security number.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) makes a clear distinction between requesting credit reports and other types of inquiries made through the Data Broker. Under legal statutes, HHSC may request identifying information such as address, employment and vehicle registration on any individual.

Permissible purpose is not required when requesting non-credit identifying information. For example, if an advisor suspects an absent parent is in the home, he does not have permissible purpose to request a credit report on the absent parent. However, it is appropriate to request identifying information available through the Data Broker system.

Note: Those who request information without permissible purpose are in violation of federal law and are subject to fines, imprisonment of up to two years or both.

C—825  Reports Not Subject to Permissible Purpose

All Programs

See C-824 for the definition of permissible purpose.

C—825.1  Driver License Information

All Programs

Data Broker matches information from the Combined Report Search screen against Department of Public Safety (DPS) data. When a match is found, DPS data is pulled into the report. Information in this report may identify discrepancies in the identity and residence address of the individual. While DPS still collects information on height, weight, eye and hair color, this information is no longer sold to Data Brokers. DPS continues to carry information previously collected in these categories.

This report includes a Previous Name/Address sub-section. Since DPS re-issues driver license/ID numbers, approximately two years after the license/ID number expires, previous names/addresses associated with that number are listed in this section.

The Validated field is the date the driver license or ID information was last updated with DPS.

Note: DPS updates information on this report only when the individual with the Texas driver license (TDL) or DPS ID contacts DPS to update the information. When an individual changes his address or name, DPS sends the Data Broker vendor this information. Even though DPS does not retain an old address on its files, the Data Broker does. If the individual moves or has a name change and does not contact DPS, information on the DPS database will be obsolete. Always review the date the information was last updated.

C—825.2  Persons at Entered Address

All Programs

Data Broker searches the DPS database and pulls records for all persons listed at the address entered on the Combined Report Search screen. The information pulled includes each person's name, address, date of birth (DOB) and the last date DPS updated this particular record. Previous residents may appear if they have not changed their address with DPS.

Information on this report is useful in providing case clues about household composition and exploring parental absence for deprivation.

The Validation field shows the date the individual on that line last updated information with DPS. All other entries are self-explanatory.

C—825.3  Neighborhood Address Search

All Programs

This report lists residents of the 20 addresses nearest to the address entered on the Combined Report Search screen. Information may be useful for locating absent parents or for other case-related activities. Data Broker pulls this information from the DPS database. The information is only as current as DPS' most recent update.

The Validation field shows the date the individual on that line last updated the information with DPS. The asterisk (*) indicates that the individual has a Texas ID in lieu of a TDL. Some individuals may have both a Texas ID and a TDL. These individuals appear on two lines.

Note: The advisor may contact a neighbor on the Data Broker report only when:

• instructed by the individual to do so; or
• he receives information from another source that contradicts the individual's statements.

See C-920, Questionable Information, and C-930, Providing Verification, for information regarding contacting a collateral source not designated by the individual.

C—825.4  Out-of-State Shopping (OSS) Report

The OSS Report lists households receiving SNAP and/or TANF benefits in Texas that:

• shopped out of state in the last 60 days;
• did not shop in Texas during that period; and
• have active cases.

OSS Report information is included on the combined Data Broker report and is considered a case clue that Texas residency may be questionable. OSS information must be addressed at the time of the interview/desk review.

Clearing Non-Border OSS Report Activity at a Complete Action

The household must provide verification of their address if:

• the most recent OSS occurred within 6 months before the interview/desk review month, and
• the OSS occurrence listed in the report was not previously cleared.

Note: Some non-border OSS Reports are also sent to the Customer Care Center (CCC) as potential change actions, as explained in B-353, Out-of-State Shopping Report.

Clearing Border OSS Report Activity at a Complete Action

This report must be cleared at a complete action when a household submits an application or redetermination and the OSS activity in the report makes the household’s address questionable. Example: A household living in Texas near the Arkansas border and shopping in Arkansas may not cause residency to be questionable. A household living in Austin and listed as shopping only in Arkansas in the past 60 days would cause residency to be considered questionable.

Note: Take action on any associated Medical Program EDG when clearing any OSS report activity.

Related Policy
Out-of-State Shopping Report, B-353
Residence, A-760, A-761

C—825.5  Texas Vehicle

All Programs

Data Broker searches the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) database and pulls information for all vehicles listed at the address entered on the Combined Report Search screen. Information pulled includes the:

• owner of each vehicle;
• Texas vehicle license tag number;
• year, make and model of each vehicle;
• average wholesale value of the vehicle; and
• vehicle's lien holder (when applicable).

This information is useful when exploring a household's resources. The information provides case clues on vehicle ownership and value and on household composition. Explore and clear any discrepancies.

Except for vehicle values, Data Broker receives updated information weekly from the TxDOT database. Data Broker updates the vehicle value twice per year to coincide with the release of the National Auto Research (NAR) Black Book.

TxDOT updates its database when an individual renews a vehicle's registration, retitles a vehicle, or reports a change of address to TxDOT. It is possible for vehicles not owned by the household to appear on this report. This can happen when an individual does not complete a title transfer or does not update his address with TxDOT.

Vehicles registered at an address other than where the individual lives do not appear on this report. When an individual has a vehicle not shown on the report, staff can use the owner's name or the vehicle tag number to obtain information by using the Texas Vehicle report listed under the DCS Search Options menu.

The Value field lists the average wholesale value of the vehicle and can be used as verification to determine the countable value of the vehicle. See A-1251, Verification Sources, for other acceptable methods of verification.

C—825.6  Social Security Administration (SSA) Death Index

This report is only available via an interactive inquiry on the Data Broker Search Options menu. Information from this report is not included on the combined report. The Death Master File contains approximately 50 million records of deceased individuals dating back to 1937. Approximately 98% of the file consists of individuals who died after 1962. The Death Master File contains only decedents whose deaths were reported to the SSA. While a majority of individuals who die are contained in the file, it is not a complete file of all deaths that occur in the U.S. Data Broker matches a last known address with approximately 30% of the death records. Most of these addresses are associated with individuals who died more recently (during the 1970s or later).

C—825.7  Property Value

All Programs

This report contains information regarding real property owned in Texas according to the address listed on the Combined Report Search screen. The combined report provides information on ownership of the property at the address entered regardless of who owns the property. If an individual owns other property in Texas, the report lists the property only if the individual receives the tax bill at his address.

Individuals may report owning property in Texas that is not listed on the report. Staff can obtain information on this property (if it is in one of the counties whose records are on the Data Broker system) by accessing the property report listed on the Dallas Computer System (DCS) Search Options menus.

The Data Broker system currently lists property records for the following 43 counties:

Note: Frequency of information updates on this report varies according to the county.

The total value of real property consists of the value of the land plus the value of any improvements. See A-1200, Resources, for policy regarding property.

Explore any discrepancies between information on Form H1010, Application for Assistance, and this report. Information on this report is taken directly from taxing authorities and can be used as a verification source. If an individual states the information on the report is incorrect, request verification to clear the discrepancy. See A-1251, Verification Sources, for other acceptable methods of verification. Use a method other than Data Broker to determine the value of rural land that may have an agricultural exemption. Note: Before taking action on a case based on property information, ensure that the property is not exempt (such as homestead, income producing, etc.).

C—825.8  Telephone Number

All Programs

This report is only available via an interactive inquiry on the DCS Search Options Menu. Information from this report is not included on the combined report. The telephone number search locates the address associated with the telephone number listed on the Combined Report Search Screen. The system then searches the address and lists all people at the address associated with the telephone number.

C—825.9  Texas Marriage and Divorce

All Programs

This report is only available via an interactive inquiry on the DCS Search Options menu. Information from this report is not included on the combined report. This report is pulled from marriage and divorce records from the Department of State Health Services Texas Vital Statistics Unit. These records, updated annually, provide the dates and names of individuals married and divorced in Texas.

C—825.10  Texas Criminal Convictions

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Families

This report contains a list of all convictions and felony deferred adjudications that are contained in the computerized criminal history system maintained by DPS. This report is updated monthly; however, since it contains records reported to DPS by various Texas courts, the report may not be complete. The information included in the report depends on the authority reporting the offense and is considered a case clue only. DPS does not guarantee that the records obtained relate to the person about whom you are requesting information. In most cases, the report includes the classification of the offense (felony, misdemeanor, deferred adjudication, etc.). When it does not, staff must investigate further.

Note: The report only gives the conviction date. Disqualifications in both TANF and SNAP are based on offense dates. For SNAP, see A-232.2, Disqualified Persons, No. 2; and for TANF, see A-2128.1, When the Individual Signs Form H1073.

The report lists several pieces of identifying information including DOB, sex, race, hair and eye color, height, and weight. When a criminal record is found, check each factor to ensure the individual on the report is the individual on the case.

When the report reveals information that indicates the individual may have committed an offense subject to action by HHSC, explore the situation with the individual. If the individual acknowledges she or he is the person on the report, take the appropriate action.

If the advisor has reason to believe that the individual is the person indicated on the report but the individual disagrees or disagrees with other information contained within the report (such as the type of conviction or whether it was a felony or misdemeanor), the advisor must:

• document the individual's response in the case record;
• proceed with the appropriate case action without acting on the criminal history report;
• contact the OIG by emailing the OIG General Investigations Policy and Quality Control Unit at oig_gi@hhsc.state.tx.us; and
• document the reason for contacting OIG in the case record. Once OIG obtains information to clear the discrepancy, the assigned OIG investigator provides the response/finding by creating a task within the Task List Manager (TLM). The assigned advisor clearing the task documents the results of the OIG's findings in case comments and, if applicable, enters information in the Individual Demographic Conviction/Rehabilitation Tab. Make an overpayment referral if appropriate. (See B-770, Filing an Overpayment Referral)

Related Policy
SNAP — Budgeting for Persons Disqualified for Intentional Program Violations, SNAP Employment Services Noncompliances, Felony Drug Convictions, Refusing to Cooperate with the Quality Control Process, or Being a Fugitive, A-1362.4
Alcohol or Drugs, A-2128

C—825.11  Income Verification System (TALX)

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

DCS is the authorized agent for HHSC to receive income verification reports from the TALX Corp. (also known as The Work Number), which provides an automated employment and income verification service. More than 1,000 employers provide their employees' salary data to The Work Number database each payroll period. Employers represent all industries, including fast food chains, retail stores, health care organizations, temporary staffing agencies and others. Employer lists are available online when Income Verification is selected from the left navigational bar of the Data Broker application.

If the employer's records are part of The Work Number database, the system returns the applicable payroll information in the requested combined search or the interactive inquiry search. Some of the following payroll information is returned by the system:

• employee name, address;
• Social Security number;
• employment status;
• most recent start date and/or termination date;
• total time with employer;
• job title;
• rate of pay;
• average hours per pay period;
• YTD wages;
• most recent pay periods of gross earnings for the period of time selected from the interactive search drop-down list (two months, four months, six months, one year, two years, three years or all available). Combined reports default to three months of income. If the end user requires more than three months of income then an interactive inquiry must be performed; and
• basic medical information.

TALX also may provide, on behalf of employers:

• up to three years of income broken down by pay period;
• payroll deductions;
• comprehensive medical information, including:
  • carrier name;
  • policy and group number;
  • premiums; and
  • dependent care benefits.

Note: The individual employer determines the information reported to TALX. Staff may see blank areas of information if that particular employer chooses not to report the data.

C—825.12  Accessing Income Verification

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP35

Staff who have been granted access to Data Broker have permissions to receive income verification information from TALX through DCS.

C—825.13  Using TALX as Verification

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

TALX is an acceptable source of verification available to end-users. Staff must attempt to verify wage information using Data Broker before requesting the verification from the individual. If the Data Broker report does not provide wage verification or the verification is not sufficient to establish current eligibility, use an alternate source to obtain the verification. See A-1371, Verification Sources, for other sources of acceptable wage verification.

C—825.14  Employer New Hire Report (ENHR)

The Employer New Hire Report (ENHR) contains information used as an indicator for unreported earned income. This report lists information such as hire date, employer name/address, and employee name, date of birth and address.

These reports are assigned to CCC staff when a change action is needed on an active case. The information also is made available through Data Broker to ensure staff has access to this information for applications and redeterminations. Staff should treat this information as a case clue and take appropriate action to verify the information in accordance with existing policy. See C-920, Questionable Information.

The new hire data listed in Data Broker will display from the beginning of the calendar year. Once the information is included as part of the TWC Wage Report, it will no longer display separately under the New Hire Report.

The ENHR may list the corporate name and address instead of the local business name and address. Before denying a case, consider that the commonly known name of a business may be different from the corporate name.

Related Policy
Changes, C-600
Verification and Documentation, C-900

C—825.15  Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Wages/Benefits

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

TWC Wages/Benefits information is available through the interactive and combined Data Broker report options and includes information on wages, claimants and unemployment benefit records. Claimant and unemployment benefit payments will display only if the individual has applied, is receiving or has received unemployment with TWC.

The TWC information is obtained in Data Broker using one of two methods.

1. Interactive Search (individual reports) will allow the user to search TWC information using the TWC Wages/Benefits link from the left navigation bar. Four search criteria are identified:

• Claimant Status
• Wage Details
• Benefits
• Combined Wages, Status, Benefits Report

Individual searches can be done using any of the first three criteria. Selecting the fourth search criteria will return a combined report of all three TWC inquiries.

The date filter option is available for the user to request TWC inquiries for any of the four search criteria. Date filter options include two months, four months, six months, one year, two years, three years or all available.

2. The Standard Combined Report includes the TWC information along with all other reports available. See C-827, Data Broker Combined Reports, for other sources.

TWC information returned on the standard combined report will default to the last four months of data available for wage detail, claimant and benefit payments. If the user needs more than four months of data, the interactive search criteria can be used.

The following codes appear within the Claimant Status Search and the Combined Wages, Status, Benefits Report:

• Clm Sta — the current status of the claim
  • COMPLETE = is valid and complete
  • INCOMPLETE = is missing required information
  • VOID = is voided
  • BATCH = claimant must complete and activate the claim
• Clm Sta DT — date the claim status last changed
• Pgm — the program under which this claim is filed
  • EUC = Emergency Unemployment
  • EXB = Extended Benefits
  • REG = Regular Unemployment Insurance
  • TRA = Trade Affected Unemployment Insurance
  • TRX = Extended Trade Affected
  • TUC = Temporary Unemployment
• Clm Dt — the Sunday effective date of this claim
• Pay St — the two initials of paying state
• File Dt — the date the claimant filed his/her claim
• Last employer's name and address
• WBA — the weekly benefit amount
• MBA — the maximum benefit amount
• Balnc — the current benefits remaining
• Paid — the total amount of benefits paid
• Disqual — the amount of benefits deducted from the balance due to disqualification
• Overpmt — the amount of any overpayment of benefits on this claim
• Recovrd — the amount of money recovered by TWC to offset an overpayment of benefits
• Opbalnc — the amount of overpayment still remaining to be paid
• Pend Invstn — whether or not TWC is investigating this claim. If yes, the person's benefits may be delayed. Y = Yes, N = No
• BWE — ending date of this benefit week (will always be a Saturday because TWC begins a new week on Sunday)
• OP — the amount overpaid that week
• Status — the status code of each certification
  • AA = BAD ADDRESS
  • AG = AGENT STATE CERTIFICATION
  • AR = SYSTEM ERROR - NOTIFY TE
  • CV = CONVERTED BENEFIT WEEK
  • DQ = DISQUALIFIED
  • EE = EXCESSIVE EARNINGS
  • EH = EXCESSIVE HOURS
  • FP = FIRST PAYMENT
  • FR = FRAUD
  • FV = FRAUD VOIDED BY APPEALS
  • GM = GOOD MONEY/ACCOUNTING
  • IC = OPEN INVESTIGATION
  • IE = INELIGIBLE
  • IN = INCOMPLETE INVESTIGATION
  • IW = WAITING WEEK IDENTIFIED
  • NC = RESPONSE NOT CERTIFIED
  • OP = OVERPAID
  • OR = OVERPAYMENT REVERSED
  • OV = OVERPAYMENT VOIDED
  • PD = PROCESSED
  • PP = PENDING PROCESSING
  • PR = PENDING EMPLOYER RESPONSE
  • RC = RECOVERED
  • RP = PARTIAL RECOVERY
  • SP = SUPPRESSION PERIOD
  • VC = VOIDED CLAIM
  • WW = SERVED WAITING WEEK
  • XX = FORCED PAY
  • YY = OFFLINE PAY
  • ZZ = PAY OLD CLAIM
• TotDist — the sum of any recovered overpayments, Child Support payments and all other distributions for that week
• TotDedc — the sum of any Child Support deductions and all other deductions for that week
• PmtAmt — the amount of benefits issued to the claimant after any withheld for an overpayment recovery, Child Support or income tax. This amount may be less than the WBA.

The following codes appear within the Benefit Payments Search:

• BWE — ending date of this benefit week (will always be a Saturday because TWC begins a new week on Sunday.)
• File Date — the date the claimant filed his/her claim
  • V = filed by telephone
  • P = filed by paper
• Week Sts — the status code of each certification
  • CV = convert benefit week
  • DQ = disqualified
  • EE = earning adjustment
  • FP = first pay
  • IC = payment flag is "NO"
  • IE = ineligible (will not receive benefits)
  • IN = investigation pending, no payment
  • IW = identified waiting week; will not be paid until claimant receives three times the weekly benefit amount
  • NC = not certified
  • PD = paid
  • PP = pending payment
  • PR = pending for employer's response
  • PROCESSED = this claim is processed
  • WW = waiting week served and paid
• Op Amt — the amount UI overpayment, if any
• Erngs — amount of wages the claimant earned during this week, if any
• Pgm — the program under which this claim is filed
  • EUC = Emergency Unemployment
  • EXB = Extended Benefits
  • REG = Regular Unemployment Insurance
  • TRA = Trade Affected Unemployment Insurance
  • TRX = Extended Trade Affected
  • TUC = Temporary Unemployment
• Ddct — The sum of any Child Support deductions and all other deductions for that week. A deduction is a reduction in the weekly entitlement or amount benefiting the claimant. An example would be a reduction in benefit payment because the claimant receives retirement payment from a qualifying employer.
• Dist — The sum of any recovered overpayments, Child Support payments and all other distributions for that week. A distribution is a benefit to the claimant but distributed to an entity other than the claimant. Examples of a distribution would include Child Support payments, IRS withholdings or overpayment absorption.
• Amt — The amount of benefits issued to the claimant, after any withheld for an overpayment recovery, Child Support or income tax. This amount may be less than the WBA. Note: There are periods when payment is supplemented. An example is Federal Augmented Compensation (FAC). FAC payments increased weekly entitlement by $25. A weekly benefit payment with no deductions or distributions may be greater than the WBA.
• Date — the date the benefits were issued to the claimant.
• ID — the warrant number of this benefit payment. Payment is made by warrant, direct deposit and debit card. The method of payment is indicated by the first character of the payment ID. Codes include:
  • B = DIRECT DEPOSIT
  • D = DEBIT CARD
  • W = TWC WARRANT

If no information is available for an individual, NO CURRENT MATCHES will display.

C—825.15.1  TWC Error Messages

Error messages may appear when a request is made and the TWC database is experiencing heavy volume. When the TWC inquiry is retrieved, a feature in the Table of Contents of the Standard Combined Report will display the following message:

TWC Error: CLICK TO RETRY

By clicking on this link, the user can re-request the report without re-entering all of the individual's information. Users should continue to retry until the information becomes available.

C—825.16  Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Child Support

All Programs

This report contains child support data from the OAG's database. Data Broker searches the OAG database and pulls records for the HHSC client entered on the Combined Report Search screen and displays all persons receiving and/or paying support payments associated with that individual.

This report also is available via an interactive inquiry on the Data Broker Search Options menu to conduct a member or financial search. A member search is used when the case name or adult household member's SSN is not available. A financial search can be done for specific financial information for a period of time not found on the Combined Report Search.

The OAG information available through Data Broker allows staff to more easily obtain child support income that may not be listed on Form H1010, Application For Assistance, or otherwise reported, thus reducing risk of fraud and Quality Control payment errors. Additionally, Data Broker offers household composition case clues by listing an address for each member, if available, on the combined report associated to a particular OAG case.

Note: The Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES) web-based system is available for limited use if needed to obtain any information not found within the Data Broker system.

C—825.16.1  OAG Child Support Data

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

The child support data is displayed in five types of fields and each section of data is displayed in the order shown below for each report:

• Collections – current child support, medical support and arrears from the HHSC client for which Data Broker was requested.
• Disbursements – current child support and medical support to the HHSC client for which Data Broker was requested.
• Arrears – disbursements to the HHSC client for which Data Broker was requested.
• Obligated Support – reported for both collections and disbursements.
• Member Details – includes all members associated with the child support case.

Notes:

• Anytime a Show Section link is displayed in the report, staff should click the link for more detailed information on each applicable member.
• Sections that have no data will not be displayed within the report. If there are payments that are discovered by staff or by an individual's statement that are not available in Data Broker, staff will need to access TXCSES to verify any payments and obligations. If all information is not available in TXCSES, staff will need to pend for verification.

Example: Registry Only cases are not collected and disbursed by the OAG and are only recorded in the OAG system and will not be displayed in Data Broker. When Data Broker inquiry is conducted on these cases, the message displays:

Case is a 'registry-only' case which means that not all obligations nor dependents may be listed.

The Data Broker OAG screens contain a detailed breakdown of the following information.

• The reports are member-oriented instead of case-oriented. The report contains details from all child support cases associated with the HHSC client (member), including both collections and disbursements. If the individual receives disbursements from multiple absent parents (AP), the payments from each AP are displayed separately within each report.
  
  Disbursements for arrears are displayed separately within the report as income to the custodial party. Collections for arrears are not displayed separately from other types of support payments since both types of payments can potentially be allowed as a deduction.
• The report displays collections and disbursements in payment date order, starting with the most recent payment. Payments from all child support cases associated with a particular HHSC client will be displayed in the report.
• Support order obligations are sorted per dependent. Legal obligations typically reflect a monthly amount. The Obligated Support section is displayed to inform the advisor of the legally obligated amount. For SNAP, the policy in A-1421, Child Support Deductions, allows a deduction only for legally obligated support.
  
  The Per Period Amount column under the Obligated Support section displays the total obligated amount for all children of a particular absent parent. The Per Child Amount displays each child's portion of legally obligated support. If there is only one child, then the amounts in the Per Child Amount and Per Period Amount columns will be the same.
  
  The Duration column displays the time period for which the legal obligation applies. The child support order establishes the begin date and end date of the legal obligation. Orders normally end once the child turns 18, or graduates from high school if later; although obligations may continue past this date due to a child's disability. When the obligation includes more than one child of a different age and the obligation ends for a child, a new duration period will be reflected in the duration field. If at anytime the AP becomes delinquent in payments, child support and medical arrears can be ordered in addition to the amount the AP is originally ordered to pay, and this may prolong the AP's obligation duration period.

Note: Payments (collections and disbursements) are sorted by support type (e.g., child support vs. medical support).

• Disbursement Payments are sorted by dependent. The Data Broker child support function automatically calculates and sorts the payment information for each dependent on the case when a single payment is made for more than one dependent. Advisors no longer have to calculate the correct portion of the payments for each dependent.
  
  The Per Child Amount column displays the amount to be entered into TIERS for each dependent listed in the Dependents column. Data Broker reports payments disbursed for a child under the dependent's name even if the child is not in the household. If a caretaker receives current child support for a non-member (or a member who is no longer in the home) but uses the money for personal or household needs, count it as unearned income as required by policy in A-1326.2, Child Support. Do not count the amount actually used for or provided to the nonmember for whom it is intended to cover. Verify what the individual is doing with the payments and what amount must be counted, as explained in A-1370, Verification Requirements.

Note: Legal obligations are typically established as a monthly obligation. Wages are typically garnished based on the pay frequency of the AP's job; therefore, the amounts shown on the screens for collections and disbursements reflect the frequency for which the OAG receives the payments, which is usually other than monthly.

For additional policy information on child support payments and how they are allocated for members and non-members, refer to A-1326.2, Child Support.

• Disbursement Received dates are calculated by Data Broker and displayed in the report. Data Broker automatically applies the policy in A-1326.2.1, Counting Child Support, to estimate the date a child support payment is received by adding five days from the date a warrant was mailed or by adding two business days from the date an electronic transfer was initiated, excluding weekends and bank holidays. Therefore, when using Data Broker to verify child support, the advisor must use the Receive Date as the estimated date the individual receives a child support payment disbursed by the OAG.
• Only payments actually disbursed to the individual will be displayed to assist in reduction of calculation and payment errors. All collections will be displayed in the Collections screen. Since all collections are potentially a deductible expense, only payments that were actually disbursed to the individual will be displayed in the Disbursements screen to help reduce errors (e.g., payments given to HHSC as repayment services will not be displayed). If the OAG disbursed additional payments to an entity other than the HHSC client, the message "Additional payments were made on this case to non-member recipients: CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT DIVISION: HHSC" will be displayed for informational purposes only.

Note: If an individual reports receiving child support via the Texas OAG and those payments are not being reflected on the Data Broker system, the advisor must check the TXCSES Web portal for verification of the payment(s). Infrequently, the advisor may also be unable to verify using the TXCSES web portal. In this situation, the advisor must pend the individual for proof of the child support payment because the payments are not currently available in the Data Broker system.

Example: An individual is receiving child support payments for a dependent from an out-of-state order and the Texas OAG does not yet have the child support order but is receiving payments on behalf of the individual.

• Arrears payments are separated in the report to help ensure advisors count them properly. Advisors must enter arrears payments as income for the person to whom the payments are disbursed, not for the dependent. Enter arrears payments into TIERS as unearned income for the custodial party. See A-1326.2, Child Support, for more policy information.
• Member addresses are displayed as a case clue to determine household composition and to aid in determining if an absent parent has moved back into the same home as the custodial party. The Member Details section will display all members associated with the individual for whom the report was requested. The report will display the individual and all members associated with that particular OAG case.

Note: If an absent parent is making child support payments but moves back into the home of the caretaker and child, do not count the child support. Count the earnings and/or other income as a regular household member as stated in A-1326.2.

Related Policy
Medical Support Payments, A-1326.2.3
Reimbursements, A-1332
Child Support Deductions, A-1421

C—825.16.2  OAG Error Messages

Error messages may appear when a request is made and the OAG database is experiencing heavy volume. When the OAG information is retrieved, a feature in the table of contents of the Standard Combined Report may display one of the following messages:

The OAG Child Support portal has temporarily exceeded capacity. Please retry this request in a moment using the link below.
Child Support Portal Retry

or

A 505 error has occurred in the CSD request.
CSD Error: CLICK TO RETRY

By clicking on these links, the user can re-request the report without reentering all of the individual's information. Users should continue to retry until the information becomes available.

C—826  Entry Instructions

C—826.1  Data Broker Stand-alone System

All Programs

DL Number: Enter the TDL number or DPS identification card number. This is not a mandatory entry, but when entered and clicking the Lookup button it automatically pulls data for all fields except SSN and Case Number. If DPS data is incorrect or obsolete, enter the correct data over the incorrect data. This pulls data from both the old and new addresses.

Inquire On: Click on the appropriate description for the person on whom you are requesting the inquiry.

• Applicant — New applicants or household additions.
• Recipient — Currently active recipients.
• None of the Above — Anyone who is not an applicant or recipient. No credit report is pulled if this choice is made; instead, a Credit Header report is included, which does not require permissible purpose.

SSN: Enter the SSN of the person for whom you need Data Broker information. Do not enter an incorrect or false SSN. If an incorrect SSN is entered, an erroneous file may be created or information for the wrong person may be pulled.

Case Number: Enter the TIERS application/case number. Never enter a false TIERS application/case number or one belonging to another individual.

Individual entries marked with an asterisk must be entered in the remaining fields when the DPS identification or TDL number is not known. These entries are self-explanatory.

C—826.2  Requesting Data Broker Reports in TIERS

TIERS allows eligibility staff to make an online request for information from Data Broker. Staff must request a Data Broker.

In Regular or Customized Redetermination modes, TIERS automatically generates a Data Broker request for each individual household member age 16 and older, including members without an SSN. However, a credit report is not automatically pulled.

In the Redetermination Summary logical unit of work, each page has a DB icon – . Click the DB icon – – at the top of the page to access the Data Broker window. The Data Broker Combined Report Link will display. Click on the Report Link to view the Data Broker Combined Report for the individual. Follow the same process for each additional household member for which a Data Broker Combined Report is needed.

Requesting a Data Broker Combined Report with Credit Information

To request a Data Broker Combined Report with credit information for an individual, go to Individual Information on the left navigation bar in TIERS. Click on Individual, then click the Edit icon –– for each individual to request the Data Broker Combined Report. In the Individual Information – Other Information area, answer yes to the two questions pertaining to Data Broker. Continue through the driver flow by clicking the Next button. This will generate the request to the Data Broker vendor. Click the Previous button to go back to the Individual Information page and click on the DB icon – – at the top of the page to access the Data Broker window. The Data Broker Combined Report Link will display. Click on the Report Link to view the Data Broker Combined Report for the individual. Follow the same process for each additional household member for whom a Data Broker Combined Report is needed.

Note: When clicking the Previous button, the answers to both Data Broker questions will revert back to No; this is normal. Do not answer the questions again and click the Next button. Doing so will generate a second Data Broker request for the same individual resulting in multiple requests.

Staff is required to view the Data Broker Combined Report for applicable household members to accurately determine eligibility and clear any identified discrepancies. Failure to view this link may result in eligibility errors that can lead to QC errors.

C—827  Data Broker Combined Reports

Data Broker Combined Reports – with or without credit report – must be requested through the TIERS interface and not through the Data Broker stand-alone system.

C—827.1  Combined Report Without Credit Report Sources

All Programs

The Data Broker Combined Report includes the following information, if available:

• driver license information
• persons at entered address
• neighborhood address search
• Texas vehicle
• property value
• criminal history
• income verification (TALX)
• TWC
• OAG child support data
• credit header
• comparison report of differences in:
  • driver license information
  • persons at entered address
  • persons at driver license address
  • vehicles at entered address
  • vehicles at driver license address
  • property value report
  • Texas criminal report
  • employment
  • confirmation information
  • special messages
  • credit summary
  • accounts
  • individual income
  • inquiries for new credit

C—827.1.1  Combined Report With Credit Report Sources

The Data Broker Combined Report with credit information includes all of the sources found in C-827.1 in addition to the sources in the following sections.

C—827.1.2  Confirmation Information – Credit Header

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

Use the information on this screen, also referred to as a Credit Header, to verify the name and other identifying information of the individual before reviewing credit information. If the information on the screen does not match the individual's biographical information, review the Special Messages report to determine if the SSN is associated with any reported fraud. If you do not find any discrepancies, check to ensure the correct SSN was entered.

C—827.1.3  Special Messages

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

This screen displays warning messages related to the individual on whom the inquiry is requested. These special messages alert users to suspicious or potentially fraudulent application information. The screen displays two categories of messages:

• Message on Address — Indicates potential problems, such as a mail drop, prison or previously misused addresses.
• Message on SSN — Identifies Social Security numbers of deceased individuals or numbers reported as misused or invalid.

For more information regarding special messages, refer to the HELP link in the stand-alone system.

When a warning message is generated, the advisor should review the message and clear questionable information.

C—827.1.4  Credit Summary

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

This screen is a record of information creditors provide to the credit reporting agencies. Use the information as a case clue in determining:

• household cash flow,
• vehicle ownership,
• employment, and
• other potential causes of case errors.

The information is generally accurate; however, it cannot be considered verification for any action taken by HHSC. The advisor must verify credit report information before taking any action on a case.

C—827.1.5  Active and Inactive Accounts

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

This screen contains a detailed breakdown of individual creditors and corresponding payment records.

C—827.1.6  Lender Information

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

This screen provides the name, address and phone number of the creditor. Staff may access this information by clicking on:

• the Member ID hyperlink for the creditor listed in the Active and Inactive Accounts section of the credit report, or
• Lender Information on the DCS Search Options menu.

C—827.1.7  Client Income

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

This screen includes information the individual reported to lenders regarding his income. This information is not available on every report and is only based on the individual's statement.

Compare employers and income listed to information received during the interview or from the application. Explore any other income or discrepancies reported by the individual to lenders.

C—827.1.8  Inquiries for New Credit

TANF, SNAP, One-Time TANF, TANF-Level Medicaid, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

This screen lists the names and dates of credit inquiries for this individual. Each time a credit report is requested, the consumer's record is tagged with the name of the requestor, and the date of the request.

A large number of inquiries may indicate a need to further explore the individual's income and resources. For example, inquiries from auto dealers or auto lending institutions (such as GMAC) are case clues to a possible vehicle purchase.

Note: Additional sources not included in the combined report, but are available in the Data Broker system that workers can access via the Data Broker stand-alone system, left navigation bar are:

• SSA death index,
• telephone search,
• Texas marriage/divorce search,
• vehicle valuation.

C—827.1.9  Comparison Report

All Programs

The Comparison Report is:

• a tool to help staff rapidly determine changes that have occurred since the previous interview;
• a summary of the changes between the previous and current Combined Report; and
• a tool to alert the user of any changes since the previous report was pulled.
  
  Note: The Comparison Report is not generated for initial applications.

The Comparison Report is generated automatically when the:

• previous Combined Report is not pulled the same day; and
• identifying information entered on the previous and current Combined Report match.
  
  Note: If the identifying information differs between the two reports, the system does not generate the Comparison Report. For example, spelling an individual's name as Stephanie one time and as Stefanie the next time does not generate a Comparison Report.
  
  Each section of the current and previous Combined Report is compared. Any differences are listed at the bottom of the current Combined Report. The headers are highlighted to easily distinguish the differences from the rest of the data. The Comparison Report does not compare credit reports unless they are supplied by the same credit bureau.

C—827.2  Request a Data Broker Combined Report With or Without Credit Information

TANF, SNAP, CMA, TP 56 MN w/Spend Down, TP 33, TP 34 and TP 35

Staff may request a credit report before the initial interview only on the individual who signed Form H1010, Application for Assistance, or on those individuals for whom the applicant indicated he is applying for on Form H1010. Others on Form H1010, although living in the household, may not be members of the case. If the individual who signed Form H1010 is an authorized representative but not a household member, do not request a credit report before the interview.

Use the chart below to determine when to request a Data Broker Combined Report, with or without credit information:

Notes:

• Data Broker Combined Reports with or without credit reports are not required for households who apply for or receive SNAP Combined Application Project (FS-CAP), SNAP Supplemental Security Income (FS-SSI) or Texas Women's Health Program (TWHP). However, staff may request a combined Data Broker Combined Report if needed to obtain verification or a combined report with a credit report if needed to resolve discrepancies in reported information (such as negative management, as in the chart above).
• On independent children or child-only cases, request a Data Broker report on the child only if the advisor believes there are unreported assets, income or other information that would affect the child's eligibility.
• On reported changes, use the interactive search feature in the Data Broker stand-alone system to request a specific type of report according to the change, i.e., earned income – TALX/TWC, child support – OAG.

Regional management must ensure designated criteria are non-discriminatory per B-1310, Nondiscrimination Policy.

C—827.3  Historical Credit Reports Display

All Programs

To further reduce credit report usage, any Combined Report pulled with credit information within the last 31 days automatically displays the previous report with the following message:

Recently Pulled Combined Report.
This Report was Pulled Only X Days Ago.

If a report with credit information was not pulled within the last 31 days, users will not see this message since a new report will display.

This message will appear on reports in the stand-alone system and within TIERS.

C—828  Retention of Data Broker Reports and Providing Copies

All Programs

Unless required by regional procedure, staff are not required to print Data Broker reports. If reports are printed, staff must store them in a central file until the case action is processed. Once the case processes, staff may then shred the reports.

At the individual's request, provide a copy of the Data Broker report:

• including a credit report, if the complete report is currently filed in the local office;
• excluding a credit report, even if the report is not filed in the local office.

Do not provide a copy of a credit report when there is no copy filed in the office, unless the individual requests it for a fair hearing.

If the individual requests a fair hearing and the advisor used a Data Broker report (including a credit report) to determine eligibility, mail a copy of the Data Broker report, including the credit information, to the hearing officer with the other case information.

If the individual questions the credit report information, the advisor will explain that eligibility was based on several sources including a credit report obtained from the consumer reporting agency.

For most inquiries, the Data Broker system retains historical information for three years from the initial inquiry date. After that time, the vendor archives the information for another three years. Advisors can retrieve and view previously pulled Data Broker inquiries at no cost to the agency.

Individuals have a right under FCRA to obtain a free copy of their credit report from the reporting agency within 60 days from receipt of notice of adverse action. Individuals can contact the consumer reporting agencies at:

• CSC (Equifax) Credit Information Services
  P.O. Box 1150
  Lake Hearn Drive, Suite 460
  Atlanta, GA 30374-2041
  1-800-759-5979
• Experian
  701 Experian Parkway
  P.O. Box 2002
  Allen, TX 75013
  1-888-397-3742

For more information regarding credit bureau codes, refer to the HELP link in the stand-alone system.

C—829  Case Actions

All Programs

When taking action on a case as a result of information from a Data Broker report, different procedures apply depending on the report used. Whenever there is a discrepancy between information on any report and the individual's statement, offer the individual an opportunity to verify the information. See C-920 for policy regarding questionable information.

When the advisor discovers questionable information at a complete review, treat it as any other questionable information. Provide the individual Form H1020, Request for Information or Action, and pend for verification.

When the advisor requests Data Broker information during a SNAP certification period and the report reveals information regarding anything other than property or vehicles, follow procedures in B-125.1, Due Dates.

When HHSC takes adverse action on a case based on information gained either directly or indirectly through the use of a credit report, the FCRA requires a notice be given to the individual. The notice must contain specific information mandated by the FCRA. Enter the following comments on Form TF0001, Notice of Case Action:

Our eligibility decision was based on a variety of sources including information in a credit report obtained from:
Nuestra decisión sobre la elegibilidad se basó en varias fuentes, entre ellas, datos de un informe de crédito que se obtuvo de:

You have a right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to obtain a free copy of your credit report from the reporting agency within 60 days of this notice. You have the right to dispute the accuracy of any information in the report. Credit reporting agencies do not make eligibility determination decisions and will not be able to provide you with the specific reason for the action taken on your application/case. Information from the reporting agency was independently verified before taking this action (C-820). Please contact your advisor if you have questions about this eligibility decision./De conformidad con la Ley sobre Informes de Crédito Justos, usted tiene el derecho de pedir a la agencia una copia gratis del informe de crédito dentro de los 60 días después de este aviso. Tiene el derecho de cuestionar la exactitud de cualquier información en el informe. Las agencias que dan esta información no toman las decisiones sobre la elegibilidad y no podrán darle la razón específica de la acción que tomamos en su solicitud o caso. Antes de tomar la acción (C-820), se verificó independientemente la información que recibimos de dicha agencia. Favor de comunicarse con su consejero si tiene alguna pregunta sobre esta decisión de elegibilidad.

C—829.1  Denial Reports

Advisors submit a denial report when information obtained through a Data Broker report makes an individual(s) ineligible for services in any of the programs for which they applied. The denial report is available by viewing the previously pulled Data Broker report in TIERS, or from the Case History file if using the stand-alone system. When the report is retrieved, a "Denial Report" link highlighted in red appears at the top of the report. When staff selects this report, it automatically populates the case, individual and end-user information. Staff then selects the type of program, the number of individuals affected and the reason for denial.

C—830  Child Support Systems

C—831  Grant in Jeopardy Process

TANF

The OAG sends the TANF recipient child support collection interface after the close of business on the last day of each month. HHSC uses the interface to determine if child support collections exceed the TANF grant plus the disregard and processes grant in jeopardy.

The TANF recipient child support collection interface includes the:

• TANF case information;
• amount of collections from each absent parent; and
• amount of excess payments.

HHSC automation staff:

• compare the OAG collection information to the current SAVERR information;
• send a notice of excess payment to the advisor, if applicable;
• determine if any member of the certified group was certified for TP 01 or TP 61 in at least three of the last six months; and
• determine if the collection still exceeds the TANF grant plus the disregard.

If the collection amount exceeds the TANF grant plus the disregard:

• the system places the case on hold Code 6, pending transfer to TP 20 or denial;
• produces a notice reflecting automated action to the advisor and individual; and
• denies or transfers the case to TP 20 if the case is still on hold at cutoff in the hold effective month.

Examples

November – The OAG receives child support collections on TANF cases. At the end of the month, the OAG sends the collection information to HHSC. HHSC determines:

• whether the collection causes grant in jeopardy; and
• if there is an excess payment.

December – HHSC receives the collection information the first week of the month. SAVERR compares the collection to the grant plus disregard. If it exceeds the grant plus disregard, SAVERR:

• places the TANF case on hold effective Jan. 1;
• produces a notice to the advisor;
• produces a notice to the individual; and
• sends the updated tape to the OAG at cutoff.

The OAG repeats the process shown in November for any December child support collections received.

January – The TANF case is on hold. In the first week of the month, the OAG sends:

• the disregard to the individual (from December child support collection);
• any excess payment to the individual (from December child support collection); and
• any January child support collections (as they are received) to the individual.

At cutoff, SAVERR:

• denies the case; or
• transfers it to TP 20 retroactive to Jan. 1.

February – The OAG sends any collected child support to the individual.

C—832  Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Inquiry

All Programs

The Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES) is the OAG computer inquiry system. Staff access TXCSES for verification of child support information. In order to access TXCSES, staff must have an OAG user identification number. Obtain a user ID by:

• completing OAG security Form 08.010, Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division Information Access Statement of Responsibility, and HHSC security Form 4743, Request for Applications and System Access; and
• mailing both forms to the Regional Security Officer (or designee), who forwards them to the state office security officer. The state office security officer coordinates assignment with the OAG.

Staff must use their security IDs at least every 30 days or the ID becomes dormant and must be reset through the security system.

This section contains information about entering and exiting the system and an explanation of the screens. Refer to the user guide for detailed information.

C—832.1  Accessing Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES)

All Programs

Download the system from www.tx.net/download/oag. Use the following steps to access the system.

1. Click on the designated icon or click on the Start button and then click Qws3270.Exe.
2. At the ENTER LOGON prompt (Texas map screen), type TXAGCNTY, press Enter.
3. On the same screen, click on the Reset button, and then click on the Clear button. These buttons are at the bottom of the application window.
4. The OAG Child Support Enforcement screen appears.
5. Follow the standard logon procedures:
   1. In the Application ID field, type "CSES."
   2. Tab to the User ID field and type in your User ID.
   3. Tab to the Password field. The first time you sign on, type your temporary password assigned on Form 4743.
   4. Tab to the New Password field and type in a new password. The new password must:
      • be exactly eight characters in length;
      • be a combination of alpha, numeric and allowable special characters (allowable characters are @, # and $);
      • contain at least one special character that must not be located in the first or last positions;
      • contain only one set of repeating characters;
      • be changed every 32 days;
      • not be shared, written down or posted; and
      • not be reused for periods of up to one year.

      When you press Enter, the system will ask you to retype your new password. The next time you sign on you will use your new password.

   5. The Child Support Enforcement Menu appears. To access a screen, you may type the number corresponding to a screen shown on the menu or you may go directly to the screen by typing the four-letter screen ID in the Command line. Press Enter.

C—832.2  TXCSES Menu Screens

All Programs

The following is a partial list of available inquiry screens in the Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES):

• Member Search Selection Screen (MSCH) — Use to search for a member with a minimum amount of identifying information.
• Member to Cases Inquiry (MCAS) — Identifies all cases a member is associated with and other members related to these cases.
• Case Information (CINF) — Displays basic information about a case.
• Case Profile (CPRF) — Displays high level information on a case, such as case type, status of case, number of dependents, grant amount, custodial parent (CP) and non custodial parent (NCP) name and their member ID number and current addresses, NCP earnings, and whether health insurance is available through the employer.
• Grant History Screen (GRNT) — Displays the monthly detail of the grant history and Prior Months Unrecovered Assistance (PMUA) by HHSC Case No. .
• Monthly Receipt Summary (MRSM) — Displays the distribution of the collections for a CP on a monthly basis.
• Warrant Status History (WHIS) — Displays the disbursement status for a specific warrant or electronic fund transfer (EFT) identifying a direct deposit. The date the warrant was disbursed, issued, mailed, or cancelled. The dollar amount of the warrant and warrant number. The CP's current address and the address where the warrant was mailed.
• Child Support Office Directory (CSOD) — Provides general information about a child support office.
• Child Support Staff Directory (CSSD) — Use to search for a specific employee or group of employees. Also, use to identify the name, current address, and telephone number of the child support officer who initiated a sanction request.

C—832.3  Exiting TXCSES

All Programs

To exit TXCSES:

• press F3 when the main menu (CSEM) displays;
• type exit or end in the Command line; or
• click on the windows X or close while in any of the screens and then click on Exit, located on the top bar menu.

C—833  TXCSES Web Child Support Portal Inquiry

All Programs

The TXCSES Web is an Internet-based application developed by the OAG. The TXCSES Web is a comprehensive verification source that allows users to view child support collection, distribution and support obligation records.

TXCSES Web replaces the TXCSES OAG computer inquiry system as the primary verification source for child support payment information.

C—833.1 Requesting Access to TXCSES Web

All Programs

Advisors with access to the TXCSES OAG computer inquiry system will use a USER identification (ID) and password to access TXCSES Web. New users must obtain a USER ID by completing:

• the OAG security Form 08.010, Office of Attorney General Child Support Division Information Access Statement of Responsibility; and
• the HHSC security Form 4743, Request for Applications and System Access.

Mail both forms to the Regional Security Officer (or designee), who forwards the forms to the state office security officer. The state office security officer coordinates assignment with the OAG.

C—833.2  Logging On to TXCSES Web

All Programs

Advisors must have an active USER identification (ID) to access the TXCSES Web. The USER ID and password for TXCSES Web is the same logon as the one used to access the TXCSES OAG computer inquiry system. To log on to TXCSES Web:

1. Open the link to the TXCSES Web application in the browser (https://portal.cs.oag.state.tx.us/wps/portal).
2. Type your USER ID in the User ID field.
3. Type your password and click Login.
4. Read the Statement of Responsibility and click I Agree.
5. Read the Account Policy and click I Agree.
6. Click TXCSES Web located at the top under the header Child Support Online. This will bring up the Main Search Income Verification Screen.

C—833.3 Procedures for Obtaining Payment Information

All Programs

The Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES) Web Main Search Income Verification Screen includes four member search options:

• Last Name and/or First Name
• DOB, MMDDYYYY
• SSN, 123456789
• Member ID (OAG Member ID)

Note: Advisors should use an SSN for inquiry when possible for a more accurate method of locating an applicant's information.

From the Search Results section, click on the case ID number with an "active status" to retrieve the child support payment information such as collections, distributions and support order obligations.

Note: By clicking on the + icon on the Disbursement Summary Details column, the advisor can view the payment type such as warrant, direct deposit/electronic transfer and Texas debit card. See A-1326.2.1, Counting Child Support, for assistance in determining when to consider the payment type available to the custodial parent.

C—833.4 Logging Off of TXCSES Web

All Programs

Click Logout to exit the Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES) Web application. Users are automatically logged off the application after 30 minutes of inactivity. Three unsuccessful logon attempts or 30 days of inactivity in either TXCSES or TXCSES Web suspends the USER identification (ID). Contact the regional security officer to reset the password if this occurs.

It is important to keep the user name active by logging on periodically. If staff do not logon to TXCSES or TXCSES Web within 90 days of the last logon, the user name is deleted.

C—834  Child Support Noncooperation (CSNC) Online System

TANF and Medical Programs

The OAG provides HHSC a weekly interface indicating when an individual fails to cooperate with child support or medical support requirements. The Office of Family Services receives the interface, processes and maintains the data on the Child Support Noncooperation (CSNC) online system. The online system replaces the manual process for clearing reports of noncooperation.

C—834.1  Requesting Access to CSNC

TANF and Medical Programs

Texas Works staff responsible for assigning, clearing, reviewing and/or monitoring child support noncooperation data may request access to the system.

Supervisors/managers complete Form 4743, Request for Applications and System Access, for each employee needing access to the CSNC system and writes CSNC in Box 14. The supervisor/manager sends the completed Form 4743 to their regional security officer (or designee). The regional security officer forwards it to the state office security officer.

C—834.2  CSNC Passwords

TANF and Medical Programs

Once Form 4743 is approved, the initial password is returned on the form. Staff may change their password at anytime. For password changes, click "Tools" on the CSNC home page and enter the old and new password information in the appropriate fields. For forgotten passwords, contact the HHSC help desk to have the password reset.

C—834.3  Logging on to CSNC

TANF and Medical Programs

After accessing the HHSC Intranet, enter http://opi-pa.dhs.state.tx.us/1708-Online/1708.aspx for the CSNC website. To log on, select Search/Login from the main menu header. Enter username and password. Click "OK" to complete the login.

C—834.4  Procedures for Requesting CSNC Data

TANF and Medical Programs

The CSNC system searches the database to locate information by:

• mail code;
• region; or
• case number.

When searching by mail code or region, staff may request data by report run date and download the data to Excel. Click "OK" to obtain the request.

When a match is found, CSNC generates a list of noncooperation data meeting the inquiry criteria.

C—834.5  CSNC Field Descriptions

TANF and Medical Programs

The following is a list of data fields and descriptions:

• MC_WKR — Mail code found on SAVERR for the case record.
• MC_SUP — Supervisor's mail code for the BJN associated with the case record on SAVERR.
• TANF_CASE — TANF case number.
• TP — Type program. Reports are generated for both TANF and medical type program cases.
• CARETAKER_PARENT — Identifies the person who is noncooperating with the child support requirements.
• CARETAKER_PARENT_ADDRESS — Caretaker/parent's address.
• ABSENT_PARENT — Name of the absent parent.
• REASON_CODE — Reason code associated with the noncooperation.
  1. Failed to keep appointment and did not make another appointment.
  2. Failed to appear for court.
  3. Failed to respond to AFDC questionnaire.
  4. Failed to appear for blood testing scheduled.
  5. Failed to submit payments received directly from NCP to OAG.
  6. Failed to return a URESA-O testimony or paternity affidavit.
  7. Failed to adhere to the terms of a repayment agreement.
  8. Failed to submit or sign legal documents.
  9. AF named by CP excluded by blood test, CP failed to provide info.
  0. (Alpha) Form Text.
• REASON_DESCRIPTION — Reason code description.
• ACTION_CODE — Indicates the action the person must take to clear the noncooperation.
  1. Schedule and keep appointment with the child support officer.
  2. Appear in court on set date.
  3. Complete and return questionnaire to child support officer.
  4. Appear with child/children and submit to blood testing when rescheduled.
  0. Free form text.
• ACTION_DESCRIPTION — Action code description.
• AG_ADDRESS — Local OAG child support office address.
• AG_PHONE — Local OAG child support office telephone number.
• AG_MC — Local OAG child support office mail code.
• AG_BJN — Local OAG child support officer's BJN.
• BJN — SAVERR case budgeted job number.
• REG — HHSC region where the case is located.
• RUN_DATE — Indicates the date OAG sends the file to HHSC.
• POST _DATE — Date the Office of Family Services Business Support posted the data to the website.

C—834.6  Exiting CSNC

TANF and Medical Programs

To exit CSNC Inquiry, click "Logout" on the menu bar, then:

• click the "X" in the upper right-hand corner; or
• select "File" on the browser tool bar, then select "Close."

C—840  DataMart

All Programs

DataMart provides a series of online reports, accessed through the State Portal. The reports are used as monitoring tools for various case action activities within Texas Works.

Instructions for accessing and using the various reports may found at the following Office of Family Services, Texas Works Policy webpage:

http://ofs.hhsc.state.tx.us/TWP/tw-handbooks.aspx

C—841  DataMart Reports

C—850  One-Time Grandparent Payment System

TANF

The Grandparent Payment System (GPS) is designed to:

• list the history of One-Time Grandparent payments, and
• allow SODI staff to enter One-Time Grandparent payment requests.

C—851  Sign-On Screen

TANF

Users request access to the GPS application by:

• registering on the Health and Human Services (HHS) Enterprise Portal, then
• requesting access to the GPS application in the HHS Enterprise Portal.

Users must register and have access to the HHS Enterprise Portal before access to the GPS application is requested and granted.

First-time portal users must register on the HHS Enterprise Portal at https://hhsportal.hhs.state.tx.us/wps/portal and follow prompts to receive log-in credentials.

Returning portal users do not have to register again. Every 90 days, the user's HHS Enterprise Portal password expires and a prompt will appear to change it.

C—851.1  GPS Application Access

Once in the HHS Enterprise Portal, users must request access to the GPS application by clicking on the Request Application Access tab at the top of the page. Select GPS Account from dropdown list of applications. A request is sent to the user's supervisor for approval and is automatically forwarded to the regional security officer for final approval. An email notification is sent to the user when the request is approved.

After permission to access the GPS application is granted, a tab labeled GPS appears on the HHS Enterprise Portal home page when the user is logged in. A message indicating Sign-On Successful appears on the GPS home page after the user clicks on the GPS tab.

C—852  GPS Inquiry Screen

TANF

This screen allows you to search by case or search by individual. To search by case, enter the case number and click on Search by Case. To search by individual, enter the client number, client name or client SSN and click on Search by Client. When inquiring by name, enter the last name. The first name is optional.

C—852.1  Case Inquiry

TANF

This screen lists case information. It includes the:

• case number,
• case name (last,first),
• address,
• benefit effective date,
• data entry date,
• advisor name,
• advisor BJN, and
• advisor telephone number.

There are three additional options on the screen, View Case Members, View Case Warrants and Return to Inquiry Results. View Case Members lists household members who were included in the One-Time Grandparent certified group. View Case Warrants lists warrants and when they were issued, including the:

• primary client number (PCN),
• SSN,
• employee number,
• entry date,
• pay date,
• issued by comptroller date,
• warrant number,
• amount, and
• status.

C—852.2  Client Inquiry

TANF

When you search by client and enter the client number, name, or SSN, you get the Client Inquiry screen that lists the:

• primary client number (PCN),
• client name,
• client DOB,
• client SSN,
• client sex, and
• case number.

You must click on the case number to get the Case Inquiry screen. See C-852.1.

C—860  Birth Verification System

All Programs

The Birth Verification System (BVS) is a system developed and maintained by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The BVS database includes birth records of people who were born in Texas.

Advisors access BVS as a source to verify age, relationship and citizenship. Perform a separate request for each individual.

C—861  Accessing BVS in TIERS

All Programs

BVS inquiry can only be performed when the TIERS case is in read/write mode. From the left navigation bar select Individual from Data Collections to access birth verification information. This displays the Individual Household page, which lists all household members. Click the Edit icon for the appropriate individual. This displays the Individual Information page.

A BVS icon appears on the Individual Information page, near the page title. The icon consists of a circle with the letters BV in it. Click the icon to display the page. TIERS displays the Birth Verification – Details page, displaying the initial demographic information for the individual, individual’s first, middle and last name, gender, and date of birth. Select the Birth County (if available) and enter Mother’s full Maiden Name (if available), then click the Submit button.

TIERS sends an online request to BVS. BVS conducts an online real-time verification of birth information and displays the information on the details page.

Note: TIERS does not display historical birth verification information. If staff make another BVS request for an individual, TIERS generates a new request to the BVS system.

C—861.1  BVS Field Entries and Descriptions

All Programs

TIERS displays the Birth Verification – Details page, displaying the initial demographic information for the individual:

• child's last, first and middle name,
• date of birth, and
• gender.

Birth County — Select the birth county from the drop-down menu. Note: Although not a required field, entering the county code shortens the search.

Mother's Maiden Name (optional field) — Enter mother’s full maiden name if available; this is an optional field. Do not enter a single letter, numerical value, spaces or special characters.

Once the BVS request is submitted, the request is transmitted to DSHS. DSHS returns the following response information when there is response from DSHS indicates a positive match:

• mother’s maiden name,
• certificate no.,
• father's name, and
• birth county.

Status — This field displays one of the following responses to the request submitted.

Y = Match Found

M = Multiple Records Exist

N = No Match Found

F = Fraudulent Record

D = Individual is Deceased

S = Birth File Read Error

T = Invalid Date of Birth

X = Unknown Error. Call Help Desk

When a match is not received, staff must review entries for accuracy and resubmit the BVS request.

Message — The following exception messages are displayed when a response is not received and the request and response have caused some type of exception. This means there is an error with the system or the data. Call the HHSC Help Desk if problems persist at 512-438-4720.

C—870  Other Systems

C—871  Wire Third-Party Query (WTPY)

All Programs

WTPY is an SSA automated system that verifies Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and 40 quarters information. WTPY is a window application. Staff obtain information by using the individual's name, SSN or Social Security claim number (SSCN), and DOB. If staff transmit the request by 2:30 p.m., the response is received by the business day following the transmitted date. If staff transmit the request after 2:30 p.m., the response is delayed one additional day.

When an inquiry match occurs, the response provides all available benefit information to the claim number submitted. If the individual has entitlement under more than one SSCN, those SSCNs and benefits are identified. Staff may have to submit separate inquiries to obtain data related to those claims.

The WTPY system provides the following types of responses:

• Standard Response: individual name, DOB, verified SSN, and error messages regarding any discrepancies between inquiry and response match.
• Title II (RSDI): individual demographics, enrollment in Medicare Part A and/or Part B, supplementary medical income benefits (SMIB) premium deduction, benefit amounts and dates, unearned income, disability onset dates, etc.
• Title XVI (SSI): individual demographics, Medicaid, SSI payment history, benefit amount, payment status code, and resource and earned income leads, etc.
• 40 Quarters: use to verify quarters for legal permanent residents, their spouse or parents. Response provides employment history, coverage of quarters, and the type of income the individual has received during that period (wages, agricultural, self employment, etc.) Note: Response time for this data is within two days of transmittal.

C—872  Accessing Wire Third-Party Query (WTPY)

All Programs

Supervisors complete Form 4743, Request for Applications and System Access, for employees who need access to the system. Staff must sign the WTPY User Information Security Agreement. Send both forms to the regional security officer. After hardware and software requirements are met and a password and training are provided, a user may access WTPY.

To access the system, staff:

1. Double click the LONG TERM CARE or WTPY icon or http://portal.hhs.state.tx.us/wps/portal. The sign-on screen appears.
2. Enter employee's username and password.
3. Click on LOGON or press ENTER.
4. Click on LOGOUT to close the WTPY system.

You must change your password every 90 days or the system automatically revokes your access. If this occurs, contact your regional security officer.

The WTPY Reference Guide (Course No. 608-203) provides details regarding menus, screen and data field references for all SSA response screens. Access the user guide via the Texas Works Educational website at http://ofs.hhsc.state.tx.us/TAC/ES-Reference_Guides.aspx.

C—873  CHIP and CHIP Perinatal Inquiry

Medical Programs

Before certifying a child or pregnant woman for any type of Medicaid program, perform a CHIP and CHIP perinatal inquiry to determine whether a child or pregnant woman applying for Medicaid is active or pending enrollment in CHIP or CHIP perinatal. If a child is active or pending enrollment in CHIP, coordinate the child's medical effective date (MED) with the CHIP end date to prevent dual enrollment. If a pregnant woman is active in CHIP perinatal, use the chart in A-128.2, Advisor Action for Determining Eligibility for Pregnant Women, to determine the appropriate action to take.

Staff may access the CHIP and CHIP perinatal inquiry via the State Portal at www.txtiers.net/portal. If staff do not have State Portal access and need access to the CHIP inquiry, complete Form 4743A, TIERS Security Assignment Request, and follow established approval procedures.

There are two ways to search in the CHIP and CHIP perinatal inquiry:

Enter the child or pregnant woman's:

• SSN and DOB (optional); or
• first name, middle initial (optional), last name and DOB. When searching by name, the DOB is optional.

The inquiry is designed to match children who are currently enrolled in CHIP or pending enrollment with a future start date or pregnant women who are enrolled in CHIP perinatal. If the child or pregnant woman's SSN is available, staff must search using the SSN. If no match is found when using the SSN, search using the child or pregnant woman's name and DOB.

Related Policy
Inquiry, A-126.2
CHIP Perinatal Inquiry, A-128.1

C—874  Texas Works Automated Systems Problem Reporting Guide

All Programs