Medical Assistance Administration responds to GLAA
Government of The District Of Columbia
Department of Health
Medical Assistance Administration
Office of the Senior Deputy Director
825 North Capitol Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
(202) 442-5988 Fax (202) 442-4790
August 23, 2004
Mr. Robert Summersgi11
Treasurer
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C.
P.O. Box 75265
Washington, DC 20013
Dear Mr. Summersgill:
Thank you for your recent e-mail to Robert C. Bobb, City Administrator, regarding your comments on the proposed rule on the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA), which was published in the DC Register, Page 6629, on July 2, 2004. I have had my staff conduct a thorough search of our files. I am sorry to say that your letter was not received in our office. As was stated in the DC Register, no comments were received on the proposed rule.
The Medical Assistance Administration (MAA) reviews every comment that is received for any proposed rule and MAA determines if it should make changes to the proposed rule based on such comments. A final rule is published only after MAA considers comments, it any are received.
In reviewing your comments at this point, had the comments been received by my office, MAA would not have been able to change the rule as you suggested. TWWIIA is a program operated by one hundred percent (100%) federal grant monies. Therefore, the program must follow federal guidelines. Federal guidelines do not recognize domestic partners in its definition of "marriage" or "spouse". Therefore, even if your comments had been received by my office, the TWWIIA program could not have been changed as you requested.
Again, thank you very much for bringing your concerns to my attention. I am sorry your letter was not received in my office. I do want you to know, however, that any response received on any proposed rule, will be considered by MAA before a final rule is published.
Sincerely,
Robert T. Maruca
Senior Deputy Director
Medical Assistance Administration
cc: Robert Bobb, City Administrator, Office of the City Administrator
Herbert Tillery, Interim Director, Department of Health
Robert Spagnoletti, Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General
Wanda Alston, Special Assistant to the Mayor for GLBT Affairs
