Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Nevada program

Medicaid that ignores your income (Katie Beckett)

Katie Beckett is Medicaid for a child with substantial care needs at home. It leaves parents’ income and savings out of the eligibility test.

What it is

Katie Beckett is Medicaid for a child with substantial care needs at home. It leaves parents’ income and savings out of the eligibility test.

This route can matter when ordinary Medicaid income limits are too low for your family. Your child’s own income, savings and care needs still matter. Nevada also compares the cost of home care with institutional care.

Eligibility rules
  • Your child must be under 19. In 2026, the child’s own income limit is $2,982 a month, or 300% of the SSI rate. The child’s countable resources cannot exceed $2,000.
  • Your child must need hospital, nursing-facility or intermediate-care-facility-for-individuals-with-intellectual-disabilities level care. The state must find that home care is appropriate and that its cost is no higher than institutional care; equal costs are allowed. A diagnosis alone does not establish that level of care.
What you get
  • Full Medicaid coverage when the financial and care tests are met.
  • Parents’ earnings and savings do not count toward the eligibility limits.
What the help includes
  • Welfare checks ordinary Medicaid before referring the child for the disability and care assessment. This is a state-plan option rather than a capped waiver.
  • Parents' income does not count for eligibility but does set a monthly premium. Sign and return the premium agreement within 10 days; until it comes back the premium is set at $250 a month.
  • The premium is one amount per family and can be paid quarterly or yearly. Falling two months behind can start the process of ending coverage, with notice first.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the Access Nevada caseworker for a Katie Beckett review if you decide to pursue this route.
  2. Ask the oncology team to describe the care your child needs at home.
  3. Bring your child’s own income and savings records, and discuss the premium agreement and home visit.

Nevada Medicaid: 866-569-1746; KBKids@nvha.nv.gov · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • The decision standard is 45 days, or 90 days when a disability determination is needed. The referral uses form NMO-3010.
Good to know

Parents’ income can affect a monthly premium even though it is left out of eligibility.

Other details
  • The oncologist’s description needs to explain why care at home is appropriate, not just name the diagnosis.

Federal background: Medicaid without counting parents’ income (Katie Beckett).

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could my child’s care needs fit Katie Beckett even if our income is too high for ordinary Medicaid? What would the premium and extra paperwork mean, and could you help us request the assessment?”

Why I’m asking: I want to know whether my child can get Medicaid based on care needs rather than our earnings.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Ask for a Katie Beckett determination in writing, get the doctor's letter, return the signed premium agreement, and book the home visit when the letter arrives.

Your social worker

The oncology social worker gathers the records and writes what your child needs at home; the financial counsellor can confirm what Medicaid would pick up behind your plan.

The care team

The oncologist describes the level of care your child needs and confirms that care at home is appropriate.

Who decides
The Division of Health Care Financing and Policy decides the level of care and the disability question; Welfare runs the application.
Ask your social worker
“Our income is over the ordinary line. Can we ask for a Katie Beckett determination, and can you write what level of care my child needs at home?”

How to apply

First step: Apply on Access Nevada, then email KBKids@nvha.nv.gov or call 866-569-1746 and ask for a Katie Beckett determination.

  1. Apply on Access Nevada and ask in writing for a Katie Beckett determination.
  2. Ask the oncologist for a letter describing the level of care your child needs at home.
  3. Ask the Katie Beckett team what your monthly premium would be, then return the signed premium agreement.
  4. Watch for the home-visit letter and book the visit.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Apply on Access Nevada, then ask for a Katie Beckett determination. Welfare sends form NMO-3010 to the Division.

What to gather

  • A doctor's letter describing the care your child needs at home
  • Recent clinic and hospital records
  • Your child's own bank accounts, if any
  • Form 2325 (the disability questionnaire), which a parent completes

How long: 45 days, or 90 days when a disability determination is needed. A home-visit letter comes first; the older operations rule asks staff to make contact within 10 business days of that letter.

What a yes looks like

A Medicaid card for your child and a premium agreement to sign. Coverage sits behind any private plan you keep.

What a no looks like, and the next move

A notice saying the level-of-care test was not met, or that home care would cost more than institutional care. Ask which test was used and what evidence would change it.

Watch out

  • Nevada charges a monthly premium set by your income. The tier table is still a draft, so ask what yours would be before you sign.
  • The initial premium agreement has a 10-calendar-day return period; nonreturn triggers a $250 monthly assessment. A later unsigned amendment leaves the existing premium unchanged.
  • Welfare checks ordinary Medicaid first. Say the words Katie Beckett in writing so the referral is made.

If they say no, quote this: Manual B-335: child's countable income at or below 300% of SSI payment level; child's countable resources no more than $2,000.

Dates that change this

2026-04-01: Nevada charges a monthly premium set by your income. The April 2026 tier table is marked DRAFT, so the amounts are not printed here. Ask the Katie Beckett team what your household's premium would be before you sign.

2025-03-01: The Katie Beckett page says hospital, nursing-facility or intensive-care-facility level of care; the older manual says nursing-facility level only. Ask which test the Division is using for your child.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Full Nevada Medicaid for a child who needs hospital-level care at home, with your income ignored. The child's own income line is 300% of the Supplemental Security Income rate and their savings limit is $2,000.

  • $2,000 — Child's own countable savings limit
  • $250/month — Monthly assessment if the initial premium agreement is not returned within 10 calendar days

Covers: Everything ordinary child Medicaid covers, behind any private plan · Private duty nursing and personal care when approved · Rides to appointments

Legal protection: Parents' income and savings are not counted

What it costs the family: An income-based family premium; the agency confirms the adopted rate schedule. The August 14, 2025 manual assesses $250 monthly if the initial agreement is not returned within 10 calendar days, without terminating solely for that missing signature. Amendment nonreturn leaves the existing premium unchanged. Verified American Indian or Alaska Native descent has a premium exemption.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age
under 19
Age max exclusive
19
Income
the child's own countable income at or below 300% of the Supplemental Security Income payment level; parental income and resources are disregarded
Resources
the child's own countable resources no more than $2,000
Level of care
Hospital, nursing-facility or intermediate-care-facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) level of care, with disability and home-care appropriateness assessed separately.
Cost test
Home care must not exceed the cost of institutional care; equal cost is not excluded.
Residency
Nevada
Processing standard
45 days, or 90 days when a disability determination is needed

Decisions this site cannot make: Division of Health Care Financing and Policy level-of-care determination · Disability determination where one is needed (form 2325)

Expect friction on: A home visit is arranged after a letter · A monthly premium based on your income

The trap: An income-based family premium; the agency confirms the adopted rate schedule. The August 14, 2025 manual assesses $250 monthly if the initial agreement is not returned within 10 calendar days, without terminating solely for that missing signature. Amendment nonreturn leaves the existing premium unchanged. Verified American Indian or Alaska Native descent has a premium exemption.

Where I read this

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