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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.
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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.
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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.