Section 435.602 - Financial responsibility of relatives and other individuals(a)(1) This section only applies to individuals excepted from application of MAGI-based methods in accordance with § 435.603(j) .(2)Basic requirements. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, in determining financial responsibility of relatives and other persons for individuals under Medicaid, the agency must apply the following requirements and methodologies:(i) Except for a spouse of an individual or a parent for a child who is under age 21 or blind or disabled, the agency must not consider income and resources of any relative as available to an individual.(ii) In relation to individuals under age 21 (as described in section 1905(a)(i) of the Act), the financial responsibility requirements and methodologies that apply include considering the income and resources of parents or spouses whose income and resources will be considered if the individual under age 21 were dependent under the State's approved State plan under title IV-A of the Act in effect as of July 16, 1996, whether or not they are actually contributed, except as specified under paragraph (c) of this section. These requirements and methodologies must be applied in accordance with the provisions of the State's approved title IV-A State plan as of July 16, 1996.(iii) When a couple ceases to live together, the agency must count only the income of the individual spouse in determining his or her eligibility, beginning the first month following the month the couple ceases to live together.(iv) In the case of eligible institutionalized spouses who are aged, blind, and disabled and who have shared the same room in a title XIX Medicaid institution, the agency has the option of considering these couples as eligible couples for purposes of counting income and resources or as eligible individuals, whichever is more advantageous to the couple.(b)Requirements for States using more restrictive requirements. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section, in determining financial eligibility of aged, blind, or disabled individuals in States that apply eligibility requirements more restrictive than those used under SSI, the agency must apply: (1) The requirements and methodologies for financial responsibility of relatives used under the SSI program; or(2) More extensive requirements for relative responsibility than specified in § 435.602(a) but no more extensive than the requirements under the Medicaid plan in effect on January 1, 1972.(c)Use of less restrictive methodologies. The agency may apply income and resources methodologies that are less restrictive than those used under the cash assistance programs as specified in the State Medicaid plan in accordance with § 435.601(d) .58 FR 4930, Jan. 19, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 43052, Aug. 22, 1994; 81 FR 86456 , Nov. 30, 2016