Maryland

State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2002

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum supplementation

Administration: Social Security Administration.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: Department of Human Resources, Family Investment Administration, and in some instances, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Mental Hygiene Administration.

Effective date: July 1, 1974.

Statutory basis for payment: Annotated Code of Maryland, article 88A, section 3(a), 5, effective January 1, 1974, and Code of Maryland Annotated Regulations .07.03.07.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: Local county social services agencies.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to aged, blind, and disabled individuals living in a care home or in an assisted living facility and who are eligible for payments under the SSI program or who would be eligible except for income. Children are not eligible for optional supplementation.

Resource limitations: Same as federal.

Income exclusions: Disregards $20 of any unearned income, including SSI.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.

Responsibility of relatives: Husband for wife.

Interim assistance: State participates.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Table 1.
Optional state supplementation payment levels (in dollars)
Living arrangement Combined federal and state State supplementation
Individual Couple Individual Couple
Living in a care home
Minimal supervision 611.00 a 66.00 a
Moderate supervision b 720.00 a 175.00 a
Extensive supervision b 1,008.00 a 463.00 a
Specialized and intensive supervision b 1,211.00 a 666.00 a
Living in an assisted living facility b 729.00 a 184.00 a
a. The state supplementation rate for individuals applies to each member of a couple.
b. Includes an $82 personal needs allowance.
DEFINITIONS:
Living in a care home with minimal supervision
Includes individuals who are certified by one of the administering state agencies as requiring minimal supervision in an approved care home.
Living in a care home with moderate supervision
Includes individuals who are certified by one of the administering state agencies as requiring moderate supervision in an approved care home.
Living in a care home with extensive supervision
Includes individuals who are certified by one of the administering state agencies as requiring extensive supervision in an approved care home.
Living in a care home with specialized and intensive supervision
Includes individuals who are certified by one of the administering state agencies as requiring specialized and intensive services in an approved care home.
Living in an assisted living facility
Includes individuals certified by the Maryland Department of Human Resources as requiring care in an approved domiciliary care facility.

Number of recipients: In January 2002, 3,016 people received optional state supplementation. Of those, 2,846 lived in a care home (612 with minimal supervision and 2,234 with moderate supervision), and 170 lived in an assisted living facility.

State Assistance for Special Needs

State does not provide assistance for special needs.

Medicaid

Eligibility

Criteria: SSI program guidelines (Title XVI).

Determined by: Social Security Administration.

Medically Needy Program

State provides a program for the aged, blind, and disabled medically needy.

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration obtains this information.