SPOTLIGHT ON CONTINUED SSI BENEFITS FOR PERSONS WHO ARE TEMPORARILY INSTITUTIONALIZED -- 2024 Edition

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY SSI BENEFITS IF I GO INTO A NURSING HOME OR HOSPITAL?

Generally, if you enter a nursing home or hospital (or other medical facility) where Medicaid pays for more than half of the cost of your care, your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit is limited to $30 a month. And, in some medical confinement situations, you may not even be eligible for any SSI benefit.

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HOWEVER, DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE YOUR FULL BENEFIT WHILE INSTITUTIONALIZED? 

That is right, we have a special rule for people receiving SSI benefits who will be in a medical facility for 90 days or less, which allows them to receive their full benefit (including State Supplementation)—and all it takes to determine if you qualify is the following key pieces of information.

WHAT INFORMATION DO I NEED TO PROVIDE?

Form SSA-186, Temporary Institutionalization Statement to Maintain Household and Physician Certification, is the principal way to establish TI benefits for a recipient. The form allows you to allege a statement of need to maintain your home or living arrangements and obtain the physician’s certification within one document. We need you or someone close to you (i.e., representative payee, family member, or friend) knowledgeable about your circumstances to report to SSA via form SSA-186, a statement in writing, telephone or in-person that:

  • you entered a medical facility and will be there for 90 consecutive days or less, and
  • while you are in the facility you need your SSI benefits to maintain your home or living arrangement where you may return upon discharge.

In order to determine if you qualify, we also need a signed statement from your physician indicating whether he or she expects your medical confinement to last less than 90 full consecutive days, beginning with the day after you entered the institution. This physician can complete the statement by filling out their section of SSA-186 Temporary Institutionalization Statement to Maintain Household and Physician Certification or submit a signed statement from the doctor providing the necessary information. We need these statements before your discharge date or by the 90th day, whichever is earlier. It is important for you to report this information timely in order to receive temporary institutionalization benefits.

Are you having problems obtaining the above information?
We can help!

If you need assistance completing the above requirements, or obtaining the proper documentation, please contact a representative at your local SSA field office for help help or contact SSA customer service at 1-800-772-1213. We can also work directly with admissions offices so that we can obtain the information we need quickly.


THIS INFORMATION IS GENERAL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 1–800–772–1213 (TTY 1–800–325–0778),
VISIT OUR WEBSITE (www.ssa.gov) ON THE INTERNET.