State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2002

North Dakota

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

No recipients.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: State-administered through county social service offices. Payments are made under the vendor payment program known as Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled.

Effective date: July 1993.

Statutory basis for payment: North Dakota Century Code, chapter 50-24.5.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State and county funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: County social service offices.

Scope of coverage: Coverage for residential and in-home options for aged, blind, and disabled SSI recipients is limited to adults in licensed basic care facilities or licensed foster homes and to those receiving in-home services enabling the recipient to remain at home.

Resource limitations: Federal Medicaid resource limitations used, except a more restrictive disqualifying transfer provision and more restrictive disqualifying penalties apply.

Income exclusions: Cost of guardianship fee of up to 5 percent of the monthly gross income. Sixty-five dollars plus one-half of the remaining monthly gross earned income. Personal needs allowance of $60.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: State law provides for recovery of supplementation from the estates of former recipients and deceased spouses of deceased former recipients. No liens or assignments are required.

Responsibility of relatives: Limited to spouse for spouse (follows Medicaid rules).

Interim assistance: State does not participate.

Payment levels: Combined federal and state supplementation for persons in licensed basic care facilities is $1,921.80 for individuals and $4,660.60 for couples. State supplementation is $1,376.80 for individuals and $3,026.60 for couples. Couples residing in licensed basic care facilities are treated as two individuals. The Basic Care Assistance Program pays a maximum of $64.06 per day. The state pays the difference between the basic rate and the SSI payment, or any other income received by a recipient. This is based on a 30-day month at the maximum rate.

Number of recipients: In January 2002, 465 people received optional state supplementation. Of those, 439 were aged and 26 were disabled.

State Assistance for Special Needs

Administration

County social service boards.

Special Needs Circumstances

At option of individual counties.

Transportation costs, meals, and lodging: Twenty-one cents per mile for obtaining medical services if recipient uses own car. The cost of meals (up to $20 per day) and lodging (up to $35 per day), if verified as related to obtaining approved health services, may be granted if the individual is away from home for 24 hours or more.

Medicaid

Eligibility

Criteria: State guidelines.

Determined by: State.

Medically Needy Program

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

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration does not obtain this information.