IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME
If you are applying for or receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the following
information is important to you.
WHAT ARE RESOURCES FOR SSI
Resources are things that you own and can use to get food, clothing, or shelter. Resources
can include:
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real property such as a house or land; or
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personal property such as a car, bank accounts, or investments like stocks, bonds
or life insurance.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GIVE AWAY OR SELL A RESOURCE
You may not be able to get an SSI check for a period of time if you, your spouse,
or another person gives away your resource or sells it for less than it is worth.
This period may be up to 36 months, depending on how much the resource was worth and
how much you got for it.
You also may not be able to get SSI if you, your spouse, or someone else puts resources
or other things you own or have a right to in a trust.
REPORTING TO YOUR STATE MEDICAID AGENCY
SSA uses information about your resources to decide if you can get SSI. SSA also gives
your State Medicaid agency information that we have about things you may have given
away or sold for less than they are worth. Your State Medicaid agency uses this information
to decide if you can get Medicaid.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SSI
If you have questions about SSI, including how resources can affect your eligibility,
you can contact your local Social Security office or call us toll free at 1-800-772-1213.
We will answer your questions about how resources affect your SSI.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MEDICAID
If you have Medicaid, or you are filing for Medicaid, the following information about
assets is important to you.
WHAT ARE ASSETS FOR MEDICAID?
Your State looks at all your assets when it decides if you can get Medicaid. Your
assets can include:
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money you or your spouse get from wages or self-employment,
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any other money you or your spouse get, such as money from Social Security or friends
or relatives,
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any free food, clothing or shelter you or your spouse get,
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things you or your spouse own, like bank accounts or real estate,
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money or property that you, your spouse or someone acting for you placed in a trust,
and
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any money or property which you and your spouse have a right to get but don't get
because of something:
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someone else did who was acting for you or at your request.
Medicaid may count some things as assets that we do not count for SSI. For example,
your State may make you ineligible for Medicaid if you give away or sell certain things
for less than they are worth, even if SSA does not make you ineligible for SSI.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GIVE AWAY OR SELL AN ASSET?
Medicaid may not pay for certain health care for you for a period of time if you,
your spouse, or someone else takes an asset of yours and gives it away or sells it
for less than what it is worth. Medicaid also may not pay for certain health care
if your assets are used to set up a trust that makes payments to someone else or cannot
make payments to you or for your benefit.
This rule usually applies to people in nursing homes and people in other places such
as hospitals that have nursing services like those in nursing homes. This rule can
also apply to people who:
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get care at home or in their community under special programs called waivers, or
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will soon need these services.
At times this rule also applies to people who are getting other kinds of services,
such as home health care, help with activities of daily living, or other forms of
long-term care.
REPORTING TO YOUR STATE MEDICAID AGENCY
Your State Medicaid agency uses these rules about assets to decide if you can get
Medicaid. SSA will give your State Medicaid agency information SSA has about any assets
you may have given away. You also must tell your State Medicaid agency any time you
give away or sell an asset or set up a trust.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICAID
If you have any questions about Medicaid, including how your assets can affect coverage,
please contact your State or local welfare, public health, or social services agency
that handles Medicaid. They can answer your questions about how your assets affect
your Medicaid.