State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2008

Alaska

State Supplementation

Mandatory State Supplementation

No recipients.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Assistance.

Effective date: January 1, 1974.

Statutory basis for payment: Alaska Statutes 47.25.430–47.25.615.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining total expenditures.

Place of application: Local offices of the state Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Assistance.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to all needy aged, blind, and disabled persons, including certain grandfathered persons who would receive SSI payments except for their income level but excluding persons in the Alaska Pioneer Homes, in any nonmedical public institution, or in public or private institutions for mental disorders. Children under age 18 are not eligible for optional supplementation.

Resource limitations: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Income exclusions: Federal SSI regulations apply; in-kind income is also excluded.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.

Financial responsibility of relatives: Child for aged parent.

Interim assistance: State participates.

Payment calculation method: A standard applies that is established by the state for the total SSI payment. The federal SSI payment and any countable income are deducted from the state standard. The remainder is the state supplementation. For non-SSI recipients, any countable income is subtracted from the state standard.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Table 1. Optional state supplementation payment levels, January 2008 (in dollars)
Living arrangement Combined federal and state State supplementation
Individual Couple Individual Couple
Living independently 999.00 1,484.00 362.00 528.00
Living independently with an ineligible spouse 1,158.00 … 521.00 …
Living in the household of another 792.67 1,180.34 368.00 543.00
Living in the household of another with an ineligible spouse 888.67 … 464.00 …
Assisted living home 737.00 1,156.00 100.00 200.00
Assisted living home with an ineligible spouse 737.00 … 100.00 …
Medicaid facility 75.00 150.00 45.00 90.00
SOURCES: Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs; state information.
NOTE: … = not applicable.
DEFINITIONS:
Living independently.
Includes eligible persons who:
  • Live alone in their own household, whether or not receiving in-kind support and maintenance;
  • Live alone or with a minor child, spouse, or anyone whose income is deemed available to them;
  • Live in a household in which all members receive federal or state public assistance;
  • Live in the household of another and pay at least a prorated share of the household expenses; or
  • Live in the household of another where the eligible person or deemor has an ownership interest in the home or is liable to the landlord for any part of the rent.
Living in the household of another.
Includes eligible persons who reside in another's household for a full calendar month, except for temporary absences, and receive both food and shelter from that person.
Assisted living home.
Includes eligible persons who reside in an assisted living home for a full calendar month.
Medicaid facility.
Includes recipients who reside for a full calendar month in a skilled nursing facility or an intermediate care facility that is certified and licensed by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services to provide long-term care.

Number of recipients: See Table 2.

Table 2. Number of persons receiving optional state supplementation, January 2008
Living arrangement Total Aged Blind Disabled
All recipients 16,031 4,967 78 10,986
Living independently 14,201 4,535 72 9,594
Living in the household of another 690 150 0 540
Assisted living home 1,065 258 6 801
Medicaid facility 75 24 0 51
SOURCE: State information.
NOTE: Includes some non-SSI recipients who meet state eligibility criteria, but do not meet federal SSI eligibility guidelines.

Total expenditures1: The state reported expenditures of $52,603,096 for calendar year 2007 in state-administered payments to SSI recipients.

State Assistance for Special Needs

State does not provide assistance for special needs.

Medicaid

Eligibility

Criteria: SSI program guidelines (Title XVI).

Determined by: State.

Medically Needy Program

State does not provide a program for the medically needy.

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration does not obtain this information.

Note

 1 Includes payments made to some non-SSI recipients who meet state eligibility criteria, but do not meet federal SSI eligibility guidelines.