State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2009

Iowa

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

Administration: Social Security Administration.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: State Department of Human Services administers supplemental payments for persons receiving residential or in-home health-related care, and persons who are eligible for the supplement for Medicare and Medicaid eligible. Social Security Administration administers all other supplemental payments.

Effective date: January 1, 1974 (blind); May 1, 1974 (aged and disabled); October 1, 2003 (eligible for supplement for Medicare and Medicaid eligible).

Statutory basis for payment: Code of Iowa, chapter 249.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: Social Security Administration field offices for federally administered payments; local offices of state Department of Human Services for state-administered payments.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to all aged, blind, and disabled persons residing in the specified living arrangements. Supplementation is not provided to residents of emergency shelters or medical facilities. Blind children are eligible for optional supplementation if living in their own household or with a dependent relative; disabled children are eligible for optional supplementation if living with a dependent relative.

Resource limitations: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Income exclusions: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.

Financial responsibility of relatives: None.

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.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Table 1. Optional state supplementation payment levels, January 2009 (in dollars)
Living arrangement State code Combined federal and state State supplementation
Individual Couple Individual Couple
Living independently (blind) A 696.00 a 1,055.00 22.00 a 44.00
Living in the household of another (blind) B 471.34 a 718.00 22.00 a 44.00
Living with a dependent person C  
Aged and disabled   1,018.00 1,355.00 344.00 344.00
Blind   1,040.00 1,399.00 366.00 388.00
Family life or boarding home D  
Aged and disabled   816.00 1,652.00 142.00 641.00
Blind   838.00 1,696.00 164.00 685.00
Living with a dependent person in the household of another H  
Aged and disabled   793.34 1,018.00 344.00 344.00
Blind   815.34 1,062.00 366.00 388.00
Family life or boarding home (one-third reduction in federal benefit rate applies) I  
Aged and disabled   591.34 1,315.00 142.00 641.00
Blind   613.34 1,359.00 164.00 685.00
Residential care . . . 966.34 . . . b 292.34 . . .
In-home health care . . . 1,154.55 c 1,972.10 d 480.55 c 961.10
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs.
NOTE: . . . = not applicable.
a. Payment level when both members of a couple are blind; when only one member is blind, payment is reduced by $22.
b. Amount based on allowable costs of residential care ($17.86 to $26.95 per day), plus a personal needs allowance of $91.00 per month, minus the federal SSI payment. State administers payments.
c. Payment is based on both members of a couple needing in-home health-related care. When one member needs care, payment is reduced by $480.55. State administers payments.
d. Payment is based on actual cost of in-home health-related care up to a maximum of $480.55, plus basic federal benefit. State administers payments.
DEFINITIONS:
A: Living independently (blind).
Includes all blind recipients who are not included under another arrangement, do not have an essential person, and are not otherwise ineligible for supplementation.
B: Living in the household of another (blind).
Includes all blind recipients who are residing in a federal Code B living arrangement, are not included under another state arrangement, do not have an essential person, and are not otherwise ineligible for supplementation.
C and H: Living with a dependent person.
Includes a recipient residing in a federal Code A, B, or C living arrangement. The recipient has an ineligible spouse, parent, child, or adult child living in the home who is financially dependent on him or her as defined by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
D and I: Family life or boarding home.
Includes recipients residing in a federal Code A living arrangement who reside in a family life home or boarding home licensed by the Iowa Department of Health or certified by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
Residential care.
Includes recipients who require custodial care (but not nursing care) on a 24-hour basis. The purpose of these facilities is to provide care for recipients who because of age, blindness, or disability are unable to adequately care for themselves in an independent living arrangement. Recipients must have the written recommendation of a physician to be admitted to these facilities.
In-home health care.
Includes recipients who require personal services, nursing care, or both in their own home. The primary purpose of the program is to enable recipients to remain in their own home for as long as possible. Care must be recommended in writing by a physician and must be provided under the supervision of a registered nurse.

Number of recipients: See Table 2.

Table 2. Number of persons receiving optional state supplementation, January 2009
Living arrangement State code Total Aged Blind Disabled
Adults Children
All recipients   5,327 664 454 3,925 284
Living independently (blind) A 556 2 426 16 112
Living in the household of another (blind) B 8 0 6 0 2
Living with a dependent person C 1,294 110 22 1,041 121
Family life or boarding home D and I 7 0 0 7 0
Living with a dependent person in the household of another H 0 0 0 0 0
Residential care . . . 1,858 343 0 1,496 19
In-home health care . . . 1,604 209 0 1,365 30
Medicaid facility . . . -- -- -- -- --
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record, 100 percent data.
NOTE: -- = not available; . . . = not applicable.

Total expenditures: The state reported expenditures of $12,525,667 for calendar year 2008 in state-administered payments and $4,778,827 in federally 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 provides a program for the aged, blind, and disabled medically needy.

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration obtains this information.