(a) If the agency provides Medicaid to aged, blind, or disabled individuals receiving SSI or State supplements, the agency much provide Medicaid to disabled widows and widowers who—

(1) Became ineligible for SSI or a mandatory or optional State supplement as a result of the elimination of the additional reduction factor for disabled widows and widowers under age 60 required by section 134 of Pub. L. 98-21, and for purposes of title XIX, are deemed to be title XVI payment beneficiaries under section 1634(b) of the Social Security Act; and

(2) Meet the conditions of paragraphs (b) and (e) of this section.

(b) The individuals must meet the following conditions:

(1) They were entitled to monthly OASDI benefits under title II of the Act for December 1983:

(2) They were entitled to and received widow's or widower's disability benefits under section 202(e) or (f) of the Act for January 1984;

(3) They became ineligible for SSI or a mandatory or optional State supplement in the first month in which the increase under Pub. L. 98-21 was paid (and in which a retroactive payment for that increase for prior months was not made);

(4) They have been continously entitled to widow's or widower's disability benefits under section 202(e) or (f) from the first month that the increase under Pub. L. 98-21 was received; and

(5) They would be eligible for SSI benefits or a mandatory or optional State supplement if the amount of the increase under Pub. L. 98-21 and subsequent cost-of-living adjustments in widow's or widower's benefits under section 215(i) of the Act were deducted from their income.

(c) If the agency adopts more restrictive requirements than those under SSI, it must provide Medicaid to individuals specified in paragraph (a) of this section on the same basis as Medicaid is provided to individuals continuing to receive SSI or a mandatory or optional State supplement. The State must consider the individuals specified in paragraph (a) of this section to have no more income than the SSI Federal benefit rate if the individual was eligible for SSI in the month prior to the first month in which the increase under Public Law 98-21 was paid (and in which retroactive payments for that increase for prior months was not being made), and the individual would be eligible for SSI except for the amount of the increase under Public Law 98-21 and subsequent cost-of-living adjustments in his or her widow's or widower's benefits under section 215(i) of the Act. The State must consider individuals who qualify under paragraph (a) of this section on the basis of loss of a mandatory or optional State supplementary payment, rather than the loss of SSI, to have no more income than the relevant SSP rate. If the State's income eligibility level is lower than the SSP or SSI Federal benefit rates, individuals qualifying under paragraph (a) of this section who are deemed to have income at either the SSP rate or the SSI Federal benefit rate may further reduce their countable income by incurring medical expenses in the amount by which their income exceeds the State's income eligibility standard. When the individual has reduced his or her income by this amount, he or she will be eligible for Medicaid as categorically needy.

(d) The agency must notify each individual who may be eligible for Medicaid under this section of his or her potential eligibility, in accordance with instructions issued by the Secretary.

(e)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, the provisions of this section apply only to those individuals who filed a written application for Medicaid on or before June 30, 1988, to obtain protected Medicaid coverage.

(2) Individuals who may be eligible under this section residing in States that use a more restrictive income standard than that of the SSI program, under section 1902(f) of the Act, have up to six months after the State sends notice pursuant to the District Court's order in Darling v. Bowen (685 F. Supp. 1125 (W.D.Mo. 1988) to file a written application to obtain protected Medicaid coverage.

[55 FR 48607, Nov. 21, 1990]