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recipients of the program): • persons who are ineligible for SSI because of failure to meet SSI program requirements that are not applicable under the Medicaid program, such as the requirement that an applicant suffering drug addiction accept a referral for treatment; • former SSI recipients who receive Title II benefits and would be currently eligible for SSI if the Title II COLAs received since SSI eligibility ended were excluded (see Section 1.6: Pickle Amendment in Part VII); • certain disabled widow(er)s who lost SSI eligibility due to a 1983 change in Title II benefits and who applied for MA prior to July 1988 (see Section 1.7: Disabled Widow(er)s in Part VII); • certain widow(er)s age 60-64 who are or become ineligible for SSI due to Title II benefits (see Section 1.8: Early Widow(er)s in Part VII); • certain disabled adult children who received SSI on the basis of a disability or blindness that began before age 22 and who subsequently became ineligible for SSI due to Title II benefits (see Section 1.9: Disabled Adult Children in Part VII); • individuals eligible for MA in December 1973 based on disability, blindness, status as an essential person, or institutionalization continue to be categorically eligible provided they have continued to meet the December 1973 criteria; • individuals who would be eligible for SSI except for the 20 percent increase in Social Security benefits that occurred in August 1972 are eligible for Medicaid provided the individual would have been entitled to and receiving both Social Security benefits and cash assistance benefits; and • persons who were receiving OAA, AB, APTD, or AABD benefits in August 1972 (or would have been eligible to receive such benefits except they had not applied for them or would have been eligible if they had not been residing in a LTC facility) and: o became ineligible for those benefits solely because of the OASDI cost of living adjustment (COLA) effective October 1, 1972; and o would be currently eligible for SSI if the amount of the OASDI COLA effective October 1, 1972, was deducted from their income. FS N/A

APPLICATION PROCESSING 12.4 MA The SSR must evaluate the group for categorical eligibility upon receipt of information that a group member has begun receiving SSI, TANF, or GC. The categorically eligible group is certified in accordance with all of the non-financial eligibility requirements for any other MA household. The group will be certified in accordance with notice, procedural, and timeliness requirements of the MA regulations. Groups applying simultaneously for SSI, TANF, or GC and MA shall be subject to MA program requirements. Benefits shall be based solely on MA eligibility criteria, including financial criteria, until the group is considered categorically eligible (that is, authorized to receive SSI, TANF, or GC). In sum, SSRs shall process the MA eligibility as soon as possible without waiting for verifications, etc. that are required only for FS, TANF, GC, etc. FS To facilitate their participation in the FS program, households in which all members are applying for public assistance must be allowed to apply for FS benefits at the same time. The household will be certified in accordance with notice, procedural, and timeliness requirements