Program Instruction

State Agencies Administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program and Other Interested Parties

Dates for transmitting required data for the FY 2003 High Performance Bonus (HPB) awards *See note at end

TANF-ACF-PI-01-04 and TANF-ACF-TANF-PI-2002-01

The purpose of this Program Instruction is to provide State agencies competing on the four work measures and on the Medicaid/SCHIP measure the submission dates for transmitting their quarterly data for the FY 2003 HPB awards.

Beginning with FY 2002, HPB awards on the work measures are based on separate quarterly matches of TANF and SSP-MOE adult recipients with the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) database maintained by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). The reporting requirements and the layouts for transmitting the required data are described in Program Instruction TANF-ACF-PI-2002-01, dated February 7, 2002.

HPB awards on the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) measure also began in FY 2002. The reporting form, instructions and the measurement formula are described in Program Instruction TANF-ACF- PI- 01-04, dated August 23, 2001. States competing on this measure must electronically transmit a quarterly report (Form 210) showing, by month, the number of TANF recipients who leave TANF assistance, and their Medicaid/SCHIP enrollment status both at the time of leaving and in the fourth month after leaving.

A State that chooses to compete for the FY 2003 HPB awards on the work measures must collect and electronically transmit two files for the fiscal year. Each file should contain FY 2002 monthly data for two quarters. Separate files must be collected for TANF and for SSP-MOE adult recipients. Each recipient should be identified by Social Security Number (SSN), case number and report month and year. Every effort should be made to obtain SSNs for each recipient. If an SSN can not be obtained, enter 000000000.

All files must be submitted no later than the dates listed below. No additional data will be accepted after the required submittal due dates. As explained in the February 7, 2002 Program Instruction, we will process each quarterly file overnight and notify the State by e-mail of any invalid edits. The State will have five days from the date on the notification to correct and retransmit the entire quarterly file.

The monthly data in each quarterly file from all competing States are then unduplicated and transmitted as a single file for matching with the wage data on the NDNH database. Each quarterly file is matched only one time. It is, therefore, crucial that the State Employment Security Agency (SESA) transmits to NDNH the quarterly employee wage records from the employers as soon as possible. A State will not be able to compete for an award on the work measures if the State’s quarterly wage data are missing.

Also, because matching is done one time only per quarter, a State that chooses not to participate in one or more of the work measures in one year, will not be able to compete in the improvement component of that measure in the following year.

Medicaid/SCHIP Measure

A State that chooses to compete for the FY 2003 HPB awards on the Medicaid/SCHIP measure must collect, compile and electronically transmit quarterly reports (Form ACF-210) on the participation in FY 2002 of former TANF recipients in Medicaid/SCHIP benefits. As stated in the Program Instruction dated August 23, 2001, the TANF agency, in cooperation with the Medicaid agency, must track on a monthly basis the Medicaid/SCHIP enrollment status of all individuals in the first and the fourth month after leaving TANF.

As specified in the August 17, 2001 Program Instruction, this measurement is limited to the status of individuals enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP and who are not receiving TANF assistance at two points in time, i.e., in the first and in the fourth month after leaving TANF. We are not tracking whether an individual is continuously off TANF during the four months after leaving.

Each quarterly report must be transmitted electronically using the ACF Internet WEB site.

Immediately.

Work measures