County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA Special Notice January 2021 Social Security Administration SSA Cost of Living Adjustment COLA and Related Changes Number Page 2006 1 of 2 Effective Date January 1 2021 BackgroundThe annual cost of living adjustment COLA update for Social Security Administration SSA Title II benefits is 13 percent and is effective 112021 There are also annual updates to the Supplemental Security Income SSIState Supplementary Payment SSP payment rate the InKind Support and Maintenance levels ISM for computing Pickle eligibility the 2021 Pickle disregard the 2021 Pickle disregard computation chart the Federal Benefit Rate FBR Standard Allocation Medicare Premiums the Community Spouse Resource Allowance CSRA and the maximum spousal income allocationminimum monthly maintenance needs allowance PurposeTo provide guidance for processing the 2021 SSA COLA and update the MediCal Assistance Standards chart with 2021 values PolicyThere will be a 13 percent COLA increase to SSA Title II Retirement Survivors and Disability Insurance payments effective 112021 This increase will not apply to Federal Poverty Level FPL programs Aged and Disabled FPL Blind FPL and Medicare Savings Programs until April 2021 CalHEERS is not running a COLA update until later in 2021 so Modified Adjusted Gross Income MAGI cases will not be affected at this time The Department of Health Care Services DHCS will notify affected MAGI beneficiaries when CalHEERS runs its COLA update next year Beneficiaries may contact the county for a reevaluation back to January 1 2021 if they were impacted The suspension of negative actions due to the public health emergency applies to processing the COLA change Do not apply negative actions including increases in share of cost until the end of the public health emergency Use the updated 2021 Maintenance Need Assistance Standards chart values for the following SSISSP Payment cash grant levels for determining Pickle eligibility ISM for determining Pickle eligibility Pickle disregard computation chart Federal Benefit Rate SSI standard and parental allocation amounts Medicare Premiums CSRA Maximum spousal income allocation minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance Procedure Use the updated Maintenance Need Assistance Standards chart when evaluating the appropriate programs Do not apply the COLA prematurely to FPL and MAGI based programs Program ImpactsAutomation County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA Special Notice January 2021 Social Security Administration SSA Cost of Living Adjustment COLA and Related Changes Number Page 2006 2 of 2 CalWIN applied the COLA and completed a mass update of MediCal cases over the weekend of 12132021 Some cases exceptioned out of the authorization must be reviewed and authorized The exception list is available on Sharepoint under the EO Tracking2021 COLA section Some client Correspondence was held online for worker review and must be reviewed for appropriateness prior to mailing Automation will send the list to Family Resource Centers via email References ACWDLs 2019 2020 2023 and 2027 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance on or by 12312021 Approval for Release Rick Wanne Director Eligibility Operations