State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients, January 2004

Pennsylvania

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

Administration: Social Security Administration.

Optional State Supplementation

Administration: State Department of Public Welfare determines eligibility for domiciliary care and personal care home supplement. Currently, the Social Security Administration administers all state supplementary payments. Pennsylvania is developing a plan to start issuing certain optional state supplementary payments.

Effective date: January 1, 1974.

Statutory basis for payment: Article IV, section 432(2), and Pennsylvania Public Welfare Code.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: Social Security Administration field offices.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to every aged, blind, and disabled person who receives SSI payments or would receive them except for excess income. Persons residing in public institutions or in certified medical facilities where Medicaid is paying more than 50 percent of the cost of care are not eligible for supplementation. Blind and disabled children are eligible for optional supplementation, except for domiciliary care and personal care homes where they must be aged 18 or older.

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 levels: See Table 1.

Table 1. Optional state supplementation payment levels, January 2004 (in dollars)
Living arrangement State
code		 Combined federal
and state		 State supplementation
Individual Couple Individual Couple
Living alone A 591.40 889.70 27.40 43.70
Living in the household of another B 403.40 607.70 27.40 43.70
Living with an essential person a C 889.70 1,196.05 43.70 68.05
Living with an essential person in the household of another a D 607.70 820.05 43.70 68.05
Domiciliary care facility for adults G 953.30 1,703.40 389.30 857.40
Personal care boarding home H 958.30 1,713.40 394.30 867.40
a. Applies only to cases converted from former state assistance programs.
DEFINITIONS:
A: Living alone
Includes all recipients in private medical facilities (nursing homes, hospitals, intermediate care facilities) where Medicaid is not paying more than 50 percent of the cost of care, residents of publicly operated emergency shelters throughout a month, and all other individuals and couples residing in a federal Code A or C living arrangement not meeting the definitions of other state arrangements. Includes persons in medical facilities who are residing in a federal Code A living arrangement on the basis of their eligibility under section 1611(e)(1)(E) of the Social Security Act.
B: Living in the household of another
Includes recipients who do not have an essential person and who reside in a federal Code B living arrangement.
C: Living with an essential person
Includes recipients who are not living in the household of another or in a foster care home for adults and who have one or more essential persons.
D: Living with an essential person in the household of another.
Includes recipients who live in the household of another and have one or more essential persons.
G: Domiciliary care facility for adults
Includes adult recipients (aged 18 or older) certified by the state to be residing in nonmedical residential care facilities.
H: Personal care boarding home
Includes adult recipients (aged 18 or older) certified by the state to be residing in nonmedical residential care facilities licensed by the Department of Welfare as a personal care boarding home. The facility offers supervision in personal care matters. It can be a for-profit facility.

Number of recipients: See Table 2.

Table 2. Number of persons receiving optional state supplementation, January 2004
Living arrangement State
code		 Total Aged Blind Disabled
Adults Children
All recipients 300,007 32,974 1,955 200,518 64,560
Living alone A 279,410 26,610 1,800 188,150 62,850
Living in the household of another B 8,320 1,200 140 5,280 1,700
Living with an essential person C 0 0 0 0 0
Living with an essential person in the household of another D 0 0 0 0 0
Domiciliary care facility for adults G 1,115 288 2 823 2
Personal care boarding home H 11,162 4,876 13 6,265 8
 

State Assistance for Special Needs

Administration

State Department of Public Welfare.

Special Needs Circumstances

Burial expenses: Up to $750 in absence of other resources to meet cost.

Moving expenses: Up to $200 may be paid (once in a 12-month period) if moving is required because of eviction or for health and welfare reasons.

Medical transportation expenses: Provides transportation expenses to and from medical appointments for those who need assistance.

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.