Social Security Online - Continued Medicaid Eligibility (Section 1619(B))

One of the biggest concerns SSI beneficiaries have about going to work is the possibility of losing Medicaid coverage. Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act provides some protection for these beneficiaries. To qualify for continuing Medicaid coverage, a person must:

Have been eligible for an SSI cash payment for at least 1 month;
Still meet the disability requirement; and
Still meet all other non-disability SSI requirements; and
Need Medicaid benefits to continue to work; and
Have gross earnings that are insufficient to replace SSI, Medicaid and publicly funded attendant care services.

This means that SSI beneficiaries who have earnings too high for a SSI cash payment may be eligible for Medicaid if they meet the above requirements. SSA uses a threshold amount to measure whether a person’s earnings are high enough to replace his/her SSI and Medicaid benefits. This threshold is based on the:

amount of earnings which would cause SSI cash payments to stop in the person’s State; and
average Medicaid expenses in that State.

If a SSI beneficiary has gross earnings higher than the threshold amount for his/her State, SSA can figure an individual threshold amount if that person has:

Impairment-related work expenses; or
Blind work expenses; or
A plan to achieve self-support; or
Personal attendant whose fees are publicly funded; or
Medical expenses above the average State amount.

We’ve shown the 2013 and 2012 threshold amounts for each State below for disabled and blind beneficiaries. (Please note that four states have separate threshold amounts for blind beneficiaries.) We usually update these amounts annually for the prior calendar year. These amounts continue in effect until replaced with the next year’s amounts when they become available.

2013 1619(b) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR DISABLED SSI BENEFICIARIES

STATE	THRESHOLD
ALABAMA	25,783
ALASKA	55,752
ARIZONA	36,517
ARKANSAS	30,349
CALIFORNIA	35,740
COLORADO	35,129
CONNECTICUT	72,805
DELAWARE	39,957
D.C.	39,253
FLORIDA	30,786
GEORGIA	28,547
HAWAII	36,265
IDAHO	40,538
ILLINOIS	27,811
INDIANA	36,139
IOWA	31,367
KANSAS	34,251
KENTUCKY	28,759
LOUISIANA	30,666
MAINE	32,084
MARYLAND	40,752
MASSACHUSETTS	38,936
MICHIGAN	33,517
MINNESSOTA	50,104
MISSISSIPPI	27,403
MISSOURI	33,754
MONTANA	30,159
NEBRASKA	37,017
NEVADA	30,386
NEW HAMPSHIRE	40,779
NEW JERSEY	33,976
NEW MEXICO	33,462
NEW YORK	45,239
NORTH CAROLINA	34,039
NORTH DAKOTA	42,063
OHIO	35,160
OKLAHOMA	30,663
OREGON	33,464
PENNSYLVANIA	34,917
RHODE ISLAND	35,187
SOUTH CAROLINA	30,882
SOUTH DAKOTA	34,857
TENNESSEE	32,430
TEXAS	32,387
UTAH	33,256
VERMONT	38,135
VIRGINIA	33,747
WASHINGTON	29,269
WEST VIRGINIA	29,645
WISCONSIN	37,068
WYOMING	36,333
NO.MARIANA ISL.	18,060

2012 1619(b) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR DISABLED SSI BENEFICIARIES

State	Threshold
ALABAMA	25,253
ALASKA	54,352
ARIZONA	36,921
ARKANSAS	29,587
CALIFORNIA	36,423
COLORADO	33,982
CONNECTICUT	68,132
DELAWARE	39,015
D.C.	44,857
FLORIDA	30,259
GEORGIA	28,347
HAWAII	35,149
IDAHO	39,775
ILLINOIS	27,435
INDIANA	35,280
IOWA	31,066
KANSAS	35,225
KENTUCKY	28,086
LOUISIANA	30,157
MAINE	33,919
MARYLAND	39,926
MASSACHUSETTS	37,685
MICHIGAN	29,919
MINNESOTA	50,846
MISSISSIPPI	26,889
MISSOURI	33,175
MONTANA	29,752
NEBRASKA	36,651
NEVADA	30,346
NEW HAMPSHIRE	42,320
NEW JERSEY	33,751
NEW MEXICO	33,098
NEW YORK	46,318
NORTH CAROLINA	34,318
NORTH DAKOTA	38,564
OHIO	34,339
OKLAHOMA	27,521
OREGON	32,440
PENNSYLVANIA	30,953
RHODE ISLAND	35,894
SOUTH CAROLINA	30,018
SOUTH DAKOTA	34,014
TENNESSEE	31,464
TEXAS	31,174
UTAH	29,889
VERMONT	37,403
VIRGINIA	34,272
WASHINGTON	28,802
WEST VIRGINIA	28,892
WISCONSIN	32,044
WYOMING	35,896
NO.MARIANA ISL.	17,772

2013 1619(b) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR BLIND SSI BENEFICIARIES

STATE	THRESHOLD
CALIFORNIA	37,060
IOWA	31,895
MASSACHUSETTS	39,785
NEVADA	33,009

2012 1619(b) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR BLIND SSI BENEFICIARIES

STATE	THRESHOLD
CALIFORNIA	37,743
IOWA	31,594
MASSACHUSETTS	38,187
NEVADA	32,969