1. a. 

   Indiana pays an optional supplement for SSI and Medicaid recipients who are residents of room and board facilities. Such facilities do not provide care at the nursing home level. They provide only for room, board, laundry, and minimal administrative direction, and are not considered medical facilities. The Room and Board Assistance (RBA) is intended to supplement SSI or other income where the recipient is not in need of ongoing residential medical care, but is in need of financial assistance to reside in a room and board situation.

2. b. 

   Beginning January 1, 2004, the maximum RBA amount to cover provider expenses decreased to $39.35 per day. The RBA allowance for personal needs increased from $50.00 per month to $52.00 effective July 2002.

3. c. 

   For SSI purposes, the RBA is always to be considered as an optional supplement based on need, and therefore, is totally excludable for calculating the SSI payment amount. In rare instances, the individual may have no other income at the time they apply for RBA and could be issued up to the current maximum of $1,196.90 plus the $52.00 RBA personal needs allowance per month by the State. The individual would then be required by the State to immediately apply for SSI or other income for which they may be eligible. The State RBA payment amount will be reduced as soon as regular SSI or other payments begin. In such instances where the full cost of room and board and personal expenses are being met by RBA at the time of filing an SSI application, the RBA should be fully excluded for SSI payment computation purposes. Verify the amount and source of payment with the local Medicaid office.

 

The State has maintained resource limitations for eligibility at levels lower than for SSI eligibility. Currently, resource limits for RBA are the same as for Medicaid. Therefore, not all SSI recipients will be eligible for an RBA optional supplementary payment even though they do not have enough current income to meet the cost of a room and board facility.

Also, the receipt of a substantial retroactive initial SSI payment could have at least a temporary effect on eligibility for the State RBA payment.

 

1. a. 

   Effective July 1, 2002, Indiana increased the monthly personal allowance to $52.00 for aged, blind, and disabled residents of Medicaid-certified facilities.

2. b. 

   SSI recipients living in these facilities who are entitled to a $30.00 SSI payment will also receive a State-administered supplemental payment of $22.00.

3. c. 

   The $22.00 payment is a state-administered state supplementation payment and is excluded from income for SSI. The State of Indiana will determine eligibility for the payment.