State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2009
Alabama
State Supplementation
Mandatory Minimum Supplementation
No recipients.
Optional State Supplementation
Administration: County Departments of Human Resources.
Effective date: January 1, 1974.
Statutory basis for payment: Code of Alabama 1975 as amended, title 38.
Funding
Administration: State funds.
Assistance: State funds.
Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.
Place of application: County Departments of Human Resources. Applications are initiated through the county Departments of Public Health and the Department of Senior Services.
Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to SSI recipients (including children) and some non-SSI recipients who reside in the specified living arrangements and who meet state criteria, but do not meet federal SSI eligibility guidelines.
Resource limitations: Federal SSI regulations apply.
Income exclusions: Federal SSI regulations apply.
Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.
Financial responsibility of relatives: Spouse for spouse; parent or stepparent for child under 18.
Interim assistance: State does not participate.
Payment calculation method: SSI recipients receive the full benefit based on living arrangement. Non-SSI recipients receive the difference in their countable income and the living arrangement benefit level. Countable income equals income minus $20 general exclusion and the applicable Federal Benefit Rate.
Payment levels: See Table 1.
| Living arrangement | Combined federal and state | State supplementation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Couple | Individual | Couple | |
| Receiving IHC in a private home or a personal care home | ||||
| Level of independence A | 734.00 | 1,131.00 | 60.00 | 120.00 |
| Level of independence B | 730.00 | 1,123.00 | 56.00 | 112.00 |
| Receiving IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home | ||||
| Level of independence A | 509.34 | 794.00 | 60.00 | 120.00 |
| Level of independence B | 505.34 | 786.00 | 56.00 | 112.00 |
| Receiving specialized IHC in a private home or personal care home | 734.00 | 1,131.00 | 60.00 | 120.00 |
| Receiving specialized IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home | 509.34 | 794.00 | 60.00 | 120.00 |
| Foster home with IHC or specialized IHC | 784.00 | 1,231.00 | 110.00 | 220.00 |
| Cerebral palsy treatment center (disabled) | 870.00 | 1,403.00 | 196.00 | 392.00 |
| SOURCES: Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs; state information. | ||||
| NOTE: A licensed physician must recommend independent home-life care (IHC) or specialized IHC, and someone must actually provide and receive payment for the care. The care provider cannot be an immediate relative and must be employed by a certified home health agency. | ||||
DEFINITIONS:
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Number of recipients: See Table 2.
| Living arrangement | Total | Aged | Blind | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All recipients | 238 | 78 | 4 | 156 |
| Receiving IHC in a private home or a personal care home | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Receiving IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Receiving specialized IHC in a private home or personal care home | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Receiving specialized IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Foster home with IHC or specialized IHC | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Cerebral palsy treatment center (disabled) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| SOURCE: State information. | ||||
| NOTES: Includes some non-SSI recipients who meet state eligibility criteria, but do not meet federal SSI eligibility guidelines. | ||||
| IHC = independent home-life care; -- = not available. | ||||
| a. Represents data for December 2008. | ||||
Total expenditures1: The state reported expenditures of $166,848 for calendar year 2008 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: Social Security Administration.
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.