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COMAR 10.09.24.12

1208 State of Maryland Medical Assistance Manual Revised July 2012 Although the DAC no longer receives an SSI payment, he/she is deemed eligible for continued Medical Assistance benefits as an SSI recipient. However, because the SDX may not contain the most current information on persons who have lost SSI eligibility, the CM must contact the individual to verify Maryland Residency and that he/she is still alive. It must also be verified that the SSI termination was solely due to increased income. Despite the increased income that exceeds the medically needy income level (MNIL), these individuals remain categorically needy (S02), and therefore, do not need to complete an application form or have financial eligibility determination. Anyone meeting all of the following criteria must be certified without a lapse in coverage from the time SSI was terminated.

The person is at least 18 years old; The person is a former SSI recipient who began receiving benefits on the basis of blindness or a disability, and whose disability occurred before age 22, The person‟s SSA claim number differs from his Social Security Number, and The claim number ends with a “c” suffix followed by a numeric, e.g. “212-22-1212 C1”.

(4) Disabled Widowed Beneficiaries (DWB)

A widow or widower who receives SSI based on his/her own disability, but later began receiving Supplemental Security Income based on the account of the deceased spouse, is referred to as a disabled widowed beneficiary (DWB). These persons may also be referred to as “Kennelly Widows”. The SSA benefit is generally greater than the SSI benefit, resulting in the DWB‟s loss of SSI eligibility. Although the DWB no longer receives an SSI payment, he/she is deemed eligible for Medical Assistance benefits as an SSI recipient. These persons are required to file an application. Resources may not exceed the SSI resource standard of $2000, however, even if the income exceeds the medically needy income level (MNIL), they are still considered categorically needy (S02). Anyone meeting all of the following criteria may be certified.

The person is a former SSI recipient; The person is not yet 65 years old; The person is ineligible for Medicare; and The person‟s SSA claim number is the social security number of the deceased spouse. Please note: The claim number suffix may contain the alphabetic “ D” or “W”.

(5)Pickles Amendment

The Federal Law known as the Pickle Amendment establishes Medical Assistance eligibility for certain former SSI recipients who currently receive Supplemental Security Income. Please refer to the Medical Assistance Policy Manual Chapter 3 to identify applicants who meet potential pickle eligibility and to apply the appropriate procedures for determining pickle eligibility.