Bill > A1639

Introduced Session

This bill would increase the personal needs allowance for veterans and their spouses who are recipients of Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and reside in a nursing home or developmental center, or are patients in a psychiatric hospital. This allowance is used to purchase personal items, such as clothing, grooming aids, newspapers, and other items not regularly provided by the facility in which they reside. For Medicaid recipients who are veterans or the spouses of veterans, the monthly personal needs allowance would be increased from $35 to $50. For recipients of SSI who are veterans or the spouses of veterans, the monthly personal needs allowance would be increased from $40 to $50. The bill further provides that these amounts will be increased annually, on January 1 of each year, by the same percentage as the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits that year. In the case of SSI recipients, the bill provides that the Commissioner of Human Services shall administer the $10 increase provided in the bill if the federal government, which provides the basic allowance, cannot administer the increase. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Human Services to apply to the federal government for such Medicaid State plan amendments as may be necessary to increase the personal needs allowance for Medicaid recipients, and to seek federal government approval for the commissioner's administrative plan to implement the increase for SSI recipients. The respective increases provided for in the bill will not be operative until such time as the commissioner receives federal approval for the Medicaid State plan amendment and the commissioner's SSI administrative plan.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Daniel Benson (D)*,  Ralph Caputo (D)*,  Gary Schaer (D)*,  Cleopatra Tucker (D)*,  Arthur Barclay (D),  Chris Brown (R),  Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D),  Wayne DeAngelo (D),  Timothy Eustace (D),  Thomas Giblin (D),  Jamel Holley (D),  Patricia Jones (D),  Pam Lampitt (D),  John McKeon (D),  Angela Mcknight (D),  Sheila Oliver (D),  Gail Phoebus (R),  Nancy Pinkin (D),  Parker Space (R), 

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 11/03/2016)