Get Latest WorkWORLD

Excess Medical Deduction - SNAP (Food Stamps)

In the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamp Program), households which contain an elderly or disabled member are eligible for the Excess Medical Deduction. The Excess Medical Deduction consists of that portion of allowable monthly medical expenses that exceeds $35 and is incurred by any household member who is elderly or disabled.

NOTE: This deduction will be calculated by WorkWORLD for you based on the information you provide to the question "What monthly amount of medical expenses for household members who are elderly and/or disabled is not covered by insurance or someone else?". This question only appears if you previously answered that there was at least one elderly and/or disabled household member. When responding to the WorkWORLD question, enter the entire amount of this expense before any deduction in order to have WorkWORLD correctly calculate your actual expenses.

Medical expenses covered by an insurance policy are not allowable expenses. Also, medical expenses of spouses or dependents of the elderly/disabled person are not considered when determining the Excess Medical Deduction.

Allowable medical expenses include the following:

·        Medical and dental care including psychotherapy and rehabilitation services provided by a licensed practitioner authorized by state law or other qualified health professional;

·        Hospitalization or outpatient treatment, nursing care, and nursing home care including payments by the household for an individual who was a household member immediately prior to entering a hospital or nursing home facility recognized by the state;

·        Prescription drugs when prescribed by a licensed practitioner authorized under state law and other over-the-counter medication (including insulin) when approved by a licensed practitioner or other qualified health professional;

·        Costs of medical supplies, sick-room equipment (including rental), or other prescribed equipment;

·        Health and hospitalization insurance policy premiums (however, the costs of health and accident policies such as those payable in lump sum settlements for death or dismemberment or income maintenance policies such as those that continue mortgage or loan payments while the beneficiary is disabled are not allowable);

·        Medicare premiums related to coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act;

·        Any cost-sharing or spend-down expenses incurred by Medicaid recipients;

·        Dentures, hearing aids, and prosthetics;

·        Securing and maintaining a seeing eye or hearing dog including the cost of dog food and veterinarian bills;

·        Eye glasses prescribed by a physician skilled in eye disease or by an optometrist;

·        Reasonable cost of transportation and lodging to obtain medical treatment or services; and

·        Maintaining an attendant, homemaker, home health aide, or housekeeper necessary due to age, infirmity, or illness. If the household provides the majority of the attendant's meals, then an amount equal to the one-person household allotment shall also be deducted.

The Excess Medical Deduction is used to calculate your household's net income, and in fact, it reduces your household's net income. By reducing the amount of net income that is counted when determining whether a household meets the net income test or when calculating the level of benefits for a household, the deduction allows households to have higher incomes and still qualify for benefits. In addition, it helps a household to receive higher benefits.

WorkWORLD™ Help/Information System

   Share/Save: Click the button or link at left to select your favorite bookmark service and add this page.

This is one topic from the thousands available in the WorkWORLD™ software Help/Information System.
Complete information about the software is available at: http://www.WorkWORLD.org