Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 481 - Inspections and Appeals Department
Inspections Division
Chapter 90 - Public Assistance Debt Recovery Unit
Rule 481-90.1 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

"Active case" means a household that is receiving public assistance.

"Allotment reduction" means an amount withheld from a financial or supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefit. More specifically, "grant reduction" refers to the family investment program (FIP) and to refugee cash assistance (RCA), and "benefit reduction" refers to SNAP.

"Debt" means the dollar amount of public assistance, by program, received by or on behalf of a person or provider in excess of that allowed by law, rules, or regulations for any given month(s); or the dollar amount of public assistance unlawfully transferred or obtained in violation of program rules; or the dollar amount of unpaid IowaCare personal financial responsibility obligations.

"Debtor" means any person who has been determined by DHS or by the department to be responsible for the repayment of a particular public assistance debt.

"Department" means the department of inspections and appeals.

"DHS" means the department of human services.

"Economic assistance fraud bureau" means the economic assistance fraud bureau of the department of inspections and appeals.

"FIP" means the family investment program described in 441-Chapters 40 to 46.

"Notice of debt" means a notice that informs the debtor that a debt in a public assistance program has occurred. The notice identifies the debt amount, the dates on which the debt was incurred, the cause of the debt, and the options the debtor has to repay the debt. (See 441-Chapter 11.)

"Offsetting" means the repayment of a debt by setoff of a state warrant or setoff of state income tax refunds or federal tax refunds and federal payments.

"Public assistance" means any program that DHS administers that confers a financial, medical, or SNAP benefit.

"RCA" means refugee cash assistance described in 441-Chapter 60.

"Recovery" means the repayment of a debt by direct cash payment from the debtor, by allotment reduction, by offsetting, or by garnishment of wages or assets.

"Repayment agreement" means an agreement entered into voluntarily between the department and the debtor for the repayment of a debt. Agreements are made on Form 470-0495, Agreement to Pay a Debt, or on a notice of debt listed in 441-subrule 11.2(2). The repayment agreement, whether Form 470-0495 or a notice of debt, tells the amount and program(s) overpaid and gives the debtor a choice of repayment methods. Failure to return the repayment agreement may result in further collection actions.

"SNAP" means the supplemental nutrition assistance program and refers to the benefits provided by the federal program administered through 7 CFR Parts 270 through 283 as set forth in rule 441-65.1(234).

"Title XIX divestiture" means a debt against a person who receives transferred assets from a Medicaid applicant or recipient within five years prior to an application for medical assistance if the applicant is approved for medical assistance (Medicaid) or a transfer impacting the recovery or payment of a medical assistance (Medicaid) debt.