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2. Subtract $734 from the current gross SSDC payment amount ($1,101) to get a disregard amount of $367. Going forward, any subsequent COLA increases to the SSDC payment will be disregarded automatically as part of the annual COLA mass change. This page last updated in Release Number: 24-03 Release Date: 12/18/2024 Effective Date: 12/18/2024 25.3 503 Group 25.3.1 Introduction This group, named after section 503 of Public Law 94-566 extends Medicaid eligibility to certain former SSI recipients if they would be otherwise eligible for SSI benefits if all historical COLA increases to their Social Security benefits since SSI was lost were disregarded. 25.3.2 Identifying a 503 Group Someone qualifies as a 503 group for Medicaid purposes if they meet the following criteria: 1. They currently receive some type of Social Security benefits. 2. They were previously eligible for SSI (or they were a 1619 participant) but became ineligible for SSI/1619 for any reason. 3. In any month since April 1977, they were eligible for SSI/1619 benefits concurrently with Social Security benefits. “Concurrently” includes situations in which Social Security benefits are granted retroactively for months in which the person was also receiving SSI. It also includes situations in which SSA recovered the SSI payment because the Social Security payment covers the same period for which the person received SSI. However, "concurrently" does not include situations in which SSI eligibility is granted retroactively for a period in which the person was also receiving Social Security benefits. To be considered a 503 group, a person must have received SSI income in the month prior to the month in which they began to receive the Social Security payment. Sometimes SSI and Social Security payments will be received in the same month, but not always. Example Kathy received both SSI and Social Security Surviving Spouse (SSSS) payments for the past five years. She lost her SSI payment due to an increase in unearned income when she began receiving a pension in January of this year. While a COLA increase was not the reason she lost SSI, because the SSI and SSSS payments were received concurrently and then she lost SSI, when her Medicaid eligibility is determined, Kathy is entitled to a disregard of all COLA increases to her SSSS payments since the date SSI was lost. 25.3.3 Determining the COLA Disregard for 503 Group To calculate the COLA disregard for 503 groups: 1. Find the gross Social Security income, which is the sum of the following: a. Net amount of the Social Security payment b. Any amount being deducted for Medicare premiums c. Any amount being withheld for other reasons (i.e., overpayments, garnishments) 2. In the “Month SSI Last Received” column in the table below, find the month in which the person was last eligible for and received an SSI payment.