G-5100, Individual and Couple Noninstitutional Budgets

Revision 09-4; Effective December 1, 2009

Reminders:

  • Monitor eligibility at least every three months if the client's total countable income is within $10 of the income limit.
  • When income tax is withheld from retirement, pensions and disability benefits, use the gross amount for the eligibility calculation.
  • If the person has VA, see E-4311.2, $90 VA Pension and Institutional Setting.

G-5110 COLA Disregard Programs

Revision 11-4; Effective December 1, 2011

Use the following steps to prepare a budget for an individual or an eligible couple in a noninstitutional living arrangement. Follow this procedure at application and for every redetermination.

StepProcedure
1Determine the appropriate income limit for either an individual or couple using the SSI federal benefit rate (FBR). See Appendix XXXI, Budget Reference Chart.
2Determine monthly earned income.

See the following:
G-2000, Income Treatment
E-3000, Earned and Unearned Income
E-2000, Exempt Income
E-2200, Earned Income Exemption
E-1700, Things That Are Not Income
E-1770, Mandatory Payroll Deductions
 
3Determine monthly unearned income, including income from support and maintenance, if appropriate.

See the following:
G-2000, Income Treatment
E-3000, Earned and Unearned Income
E-1700, Things That Are Not Income
E-2000, Exempt Income
E-4000, Fixed Income
E-5000, Variable
E-7000, Deeming Income
G-2310, Noninstitutional Deeming
E-8000, Support and Maintenance
E-9000, Infrequent or Irregular
4

Deduct earned and unearned income exclusions, as appropriate.

See G-4000, Noninstitutional Exclusions.
Compare the remainder to the appropriate SSI FBR to test for the income element of eligibility.

Note: If the remainder is less than the SSI income limit, refer the person to SSA.
See G-4312, Ping-Pong, for this exception.

5Determine the amount of COLA disregard.

See G-4300, Special Income Exclusion for COLA Disregard, for the MEPD group.
See Chapter A, General Information and MEPD Groups, for the descriptions of the MEPD groups.
 For Pickle (ME-Pickle) type of assistance, deduct the amount of the RSDI increases received since the person last was eligible for and entitled to both SSI and Social Security in the same month.

Reference: See G-4310, Computing Social Security Cost-of-Living Increases.
 
 For the Disabled Adult Children's (DAC) benefits type of assistance (ME-Disabled Adult Child), the amount of the appropriate RSDI disabled children's entitlement/increase(s) and any subsequent DAC increase.

Reference: See G-4320, Special Income Exclusion for Disabled Adult Children.
 For Receipt of Early Aged Widow's or Widower's benefits type of assistance (ME-Early Aged Widow(er)), the amount of the appropriate Social Security early aged widow's or widower's benefits that resulted in SSI denial, and any subsequent RSDI COLAs.

Reference: See G-4330, Special Income Exclusion for Widow/Widower.
 For Receipt of Disabled Widow's or Widower's benefits type of assistance (ME-Disabled Widow(er)), the full RSDI amount, including the appropriate amount of the disabled widow's or widower's benefits or surviving divorced spouse's benefits that resulted in SSI denial and any subsequent increases (whether COLA or not).

Reference: See G-4330, Special Income Exclusion for Widow/Widower.
 Deduct the COLA disregard amount of the appropriate MEPD program.
9The remainder is countable income. Compare the remainder to the appropriate income limit to test for the income element of eligibility.
 The remainder must be at least 1 cent less than SSI FBR.

G-5120 Community Attendant Services

Revision 09-4; Effective December 1, 2009

Use the following steps to prepare a budget for an individual or an eligible couple in a noninstitutional living arrangement. Follow this procedure at application and for every redetermination.

StepProcedure
1Determine the appropriate income limit for either an individual or couple using the special income limit. See Appendix XXXI, Budget Reference Chart.
2Determine monthly earned income.

See the following:
G-2000, Income Treatment
E-3000, Earned and Unearned Income
E-2000, Exempt Income
E-2200, Earned Income Exemption
E-1700, Things That Are Not Income
E-1770, Mandatory Payroll Deductions
 
3Determine monthly unearned income, including income from support and maintenance, if appropriate.

See the following:
G-2000, Income Treatment
E-3000, Earned and Unearned Income
E-1770, Things That Are Not Income
E-2000, Exempt Income
E-4000, Fixed Income
E-5000, Variable
E-7000, Deeming Income
G-2310, Noninstitutional Deeming
E-8000, Support and Maintenance
E-9000, Infrequent or Irregular
 
4

Do not subtract either the:

  • $20-general exclusion, or
  • earned income exclusion.

See G-4000, Noninstitutional Exclusions.
Compare the remainder to the appropriate SSI FBR to test for the income element of eligibility.
Note: If the remainder is less than the SSI income limit, refer the person to SSA.
 

5The remainder is countable income. Compare the remainder to the appropriate income limit to test for the income element of eligibility.
 The remainder must be equal to or less than the Special Income Limit.

G-5130 Medicare Savings Programs (MSP)

Revision 09-4; Effective December 1, 2009

Use the following steps to prepare a budget for an individual or an eligible couple in a noninstitutional living arrangement. Follow this procedure at application and for every redetermination.

StepProcedure
1Determine the appropriate income limit for either an individual or couple using the MSP income limits. See Appendix XXXI, Budget Reference Chart.
2Determine monthly earned income.

See the following:
G-2000, Income Treatment
E-3000, Earned and Unearned Income
E-2000, Exempt Income
E-2200, Earned Income Exemption
E-1700, Things That Are Not Income
E-1770, Mandatory Payroll Deductions
 
3Determine monthly unearned income, including income from support and maintenance, if appropriate.

See the following:
G-2000, Income Treatment
E-3000, Earned and Unearned Income
E-1700, Things That Are Not Income
E-2000, Exempt Income
E-4000, Fixed Income
E-5000, Variable
E-7000, Deeming Income
G-2310, Noninstitutional Deeming
E-8000, Support and Maintenance
E-9000, Infrequent or Irregular
 
4

Deduct earned and unearned income exclusions, as appropriate:

  • $20-general income exclusion
  • earned income exclusion

See G-4000, Noninstitutional Exclusions.
Compare the remainder to the appropriate SSI FBR to test for the income element of eligibility.
Note: If the remainder is less than the SSI income limit, refer the person to SSA. See G-4312, Ping-Pong, for this exception.
 

5Determine the amount of COLA disregard if appropriate.
The RSDI COLA is disregarded in determining QMB/SLMB/QI-1 eligibility for the months of January through February.
 
6Deduct the COLA disregard amount, if appropriate, for the QMB/SLMB/QI-1 program.
 
7The remainder is countable income. Compare the remainder to the appropriate income limit to test for the income element of eligibility.
 QMB – The remainder must not exceed the limit.
 SLMB – The remainder must be less than the limit.
 QI-1 – Must be equal to or greater than the lower limit, but less than the upper limit.

G-5140 Reserved for Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective December 1, 2019

G-5141 Reserved for Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective December 1, 2019

G-5150 Medicaid Buy-In for Children Program (MBIC)

Revision 11-3; Effective September 1, 2011

See N-6300, Eligibility Income Budgeting, for budgeting steps for the MBIC program.