Hi Brandy:
CT is a 209 (b) state. The income guideline is 143% of the TFA plus an unearned income disregard. Our legislature has not approved an increase in the TFA for several years (which occurs in July) and they did
not increase the unearned disregard that could have been increased due to the COLA. Consequently, the current Medicaid for the blind, disabled and aged has only increased by $14 since 2014. For the majority of CT, the income with the unearned income disregard
is $862.38 with an asset threshold of $1,600 for a single individual. Consequently, we are now seeing individuals in a Medicaid spend down due to being over income as their income exceeds the threshold for Medicaid due to the COLA increase. Fortunately,
our state also provides generous income guidelines of 211% FPL for QMB with no asset test.
Patty
Patricia Richardson
Field Representative l Department of Rehabilitation Services l State Unit on Aging
| 55 Farmington Avenue 12th Floor, Hartford CT 06105
| 860.424.5698 | www.ct.gov/aging 
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From: xxxxxx@lists.ncoa.org [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.ncoa.org]
On Behalf Of Brandy Bauer
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2019 1:26 PM
To: David Sage; MIPPA
Subject: RE: MIPPA Listserv: COLA
Hi David—
This is actually a problem we have seen in states in the past, where a beneficiary with income right on the threshold gets kicked off their MSP when the federal poverty level changes and their Social Security COLA increases, but their state
Medicaid system hasn’t updated the income thresholds to keep pace.
To answer your question, currently there is no federal regulation in place yet that stops this from happening. NCOA has been strongly advocating with CMS for a more streamlined and simultaneous process for states updating their income criteria
to correspond with the new poverty guidelines as soon as they are published.
If any of you live in states where you have seen this negatively impact your clients, please share this with us so we can continue to communicate with CMS on the importance of this matter.
Brandy
Brandy Bauer
Associate Director, Center for Benefits Access
Office: 571-527-3911
National Council on Aging
Improving the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling
251 18th Street South, Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22202
ncoa.org | @NCOAging
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From: xxxxxx@lists.ncoa.org <xxxxxx@lists.ncoa.org>
On Behalf Of David Sage
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2019 4:24 PM
To: MIPPA <xxxxxx@lists.ncoa.org>
Subject: MIPPA Listserv: COLA
Can anyone point me to a Federal regulation that prohibits states from denying, or downgrading, MSP applications because the 2019 COLA has increased income over one of the various cutoff levels?
The COLA raised Social Security checks in January. My state has not yet changed the 2018 MSP income levels. So someone who was QMB in December 2018 could be reduced to SLMB status in January or February
based on their new 2019 income. I know some states disregard the 2019 income increase until they have changed the MSP levels.
I believe that this could affect about 22% of all MSP beneficiaries.
Thanks,
Dave Sage
SHINE Counselor in Tampa
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