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Aged, Blind and Disabled Manual Section: Categories of Eligibility Policy Manual Number: 115.030 Chapter: Widow/Widower Categories

March 18, 2019 Division of TennCare 3 Eligible individuals cannot be entitled to Medicare Part A. 4. Financial Eligibility Requirements

a. Eligibility Determination Group

Applicants/enrollees in the Widow/Widower Spousal Retirement category are treated as an individual, or have an Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) size of one.

b. Income Limit

The income limits for this category are the same as the current SSI Federal Benefit Rates (SSI- FBRs).

c. Resource Limit

The individual’s countable resources must be under $2,000.

5. Budget Overview

a. Widow/Widower Entitlement Disregard

i. Initial Entitlement

The initial Widow/Widower entitlement amount is disregarded from the applicant’s income.

ii. Social Security COLA or non-COLA Increase Any Social Security COLA or non-COLA increases received by the individual after SSI was terminated are also disregarded. b. Budget Mrs. Jones became SSI-eligible based on disability. At age 62, she became entitled to Social Security Widow/Widower benefits of $500. This additional income placed Mrs. Jones over the SSI-FBR and her SSI payments terminated. She is not entitled to Medicare Part A. She has $200 of unearned pension income per month, and $300 of earned income. Mrs. Jones’ net countable income is $297.50. Since this amount is less than the SSI-FBR, $735, she is eligible in the Widow/Widower Spousal Retirement category. Income Budget Calculation

Unearned Income

$ 700.00 Irregular Unearned Income Disregard + $ 0.00