(a) To determine eligibility of medically needy individuals, a Medicaid agency must use a single resource standard that meets the requirements of this section.

(b) In States that do not use more restrictive criteria than SSI for aged, blind, and disabled individuals, the resource standard must be established at an amount that is no lower than the lowest resource standard used under the cash assistance programs that relate to the State's covered medically needy eligibility group or groups of individuals under §435.301.

(c) In States using more restrictive requirements than SSI:

(1) For all individuals except aged, blind, and disabled individuals, the resource standard must be set in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section; and

(2) For all aged, blind, and disabled individuals or any combination of these groups of individuals, the agency may establish a separate single medically needy resource standard that is more restrictive than the single resource standard set under paragraph (b) of this section. However, the amount of the more restrictive separate standard for aged, blind, or disabled individuals must be no lower than the higher of the lowest categorically needy resource standard currently applied under the State's more restrictive criteria under §435.121 or the medically needy resource standard in effect under the State's Medicaid plan on January 1, 1972.

(d) The resource standard established under paragraph (a) of this section may not diminish by an increase in the number of persons in the assistance unit. For example, the resource standard for an assistance unit of three may not be less than that set for a unit of two.

[58 FR 4933, Jan. 19, 1993]