Continued Medicaid Eligibility (Section 1619(B))

What is Medicaid?

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 show the 2024 and 2023 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.

**2024 1619(b) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR DISABLED SSI BENEFICIARIES**
STATE	THRESHOLD
ALABAMA	$37,246
ALASKA	$86,438
ARIZONA	$53,159
ARKANSAS	$38,551
CALIFORNIA	$58,638
COLORADO	$52,578
CONNECTICUT	$54,293
DELAWARE	$50,146
D.C.	$54,775
FLORIDA	$36,734
GEORGIA	$35,761
HAWAII	$49,781
IDAHO	$47,643
ILLINOIS	$38,906
INDIANA	$39,153
IOWA	$45,246
KANSAS	$44,316
KENTUCKY	$45,921
LOUISIANA	$38,748
MAINE	$48,959
MARYLAND	$52,892
MASSACHUSETTS	$44,965
MICHIGAN	$43,228
MINNESOTA	$74,611
MISSISSIPPI	$37,847
MISSOURI	$44,287
MONTANA	$44,272
NEBRASKA	$52,190
NEVADA	$41,941
NEW HAMPSHIRE	$45,194
NEW JERSEY	$51,902
NEW MEXICO	$48,855
NEW YORK	$59,826
NORTH CAROLINA	$43,307
NORTH DAKOTA	$53,007
OHIO	$40,936
OKLAHOMA	$42,494
OREGON	$42,955
PENNSYLVANIA	$50,536
RHODE ISLAND	$41,109
SOUTH CAROLINA	$39,557
SOUTH DAKOTA	$43,595
TENNESSEE	$34,490
TEXAS	$50,161
UTAH	$46,961
VERMONT	$40,339
VIRGINIA	$45,976
WASHINGTON	$57,954
WEST VIRGINIA	$35,216
WISCONSIN	$46,545
WYOMING	$42,527

2024 1619(B) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR BLIND SSI BENEFICIARIES

STATE	THRESHOLD
CALIFORNIA	$60,663
IOWA	$45,774
MASSACHUSETTS	$45,814
NEVADA	$44,564

**2023 1619(b) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR DISABLED SSI BENEFICIARIES**
STATE	THRESHOLD
ALABAMA	$37,617
ALASKA	$85,727
ARIZONA	$46,371
ARKANSAS	$43,893
CALIFORNIA	$57,251
COLORADO	$52,519
CONNECTICUT	$54,502
DELAWARE	$47,870
D.C.	$56,523
FLORIDA	$37,379
GEORGIA	$35,105
HAWAII	$46,714
IDAHO	$45,688
ILLINOIS	$38,079
INDIANA	$41,201
IOWA	$48,198
KANSAS	$38,975
KENTUCKY	$38,898
LOUISIANA	$37,322
MAINE	$46,382
MARYLAND	$48,604
MASSACHUSETTS	$45,820
MICHIGAN	$42,027
MINNESOTA	$68,071
MISSISSIPPI	$37,431
MISSOURI	$49,608
MONTANA	$41,475
NEBRASKA	$43,475
NEVADA	$41,281
NEW HAMPSHIRE	$42,510
NEW JERSEY	$54,954
NEW MEXICO	$46,022
NEW YORK	$52,286
NORTH CAROLINA	$42,053
NORTH DAKOTA	$56,641
OHIO	$41,830
OKLAHOMA	$42,434
OREGON	$41,630
PENNSYLVANIA	$49,565
RHODE ISLAND	$45,286
SOUTH CAROLINA	$37,550
SOUTH DAKOTA	$44,341
TENNESSEE	$39,061
TEXAS	$47,107
UTAH	$51,568
VERMONT	$47,138
VIRGINIA	$48,092
WASHINGTON	$48,677
WEST VIRGINIA	$36,872
WISCONSIN	$45,785
WYOMING	$47,427

2023 1619(B) THRESHOLD AMOUNTS FOR BLIND SSI BENEFICIARIES

STATE	THRESHOLD
CALIFORNIA	$59,105
IOWA	$48,726
MASSACHUSETTS	$48,013
NEVADA	$72,776