Common Abbreviations

also see table of Definitions below

Terms & Definitions

This table is fairly specific to IHSS. For a Glossary that covers a far broader range of government benefit terms, visit the DB101 Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Advance Payment (direct advance payment) is a payment to be used for the purchase of authorized IHSS services which is sent directly to the recipient in advance of the service actually being provided. [W & I Code §12304(a); MPP 30-701(d)(3)]

Assessment is the gathering of information relevant to a person’s case and an appraisal of the services needed based on that information. [MPP 30-002(a); 30-002(s)(6)]

Authorized representative for IHSS purposes is an individual or organization that has been authorized by the recipient (or designated by the ALJ for state hearings) to act for him or her in matters related to the IHSS program. An authorized representative may include legal counsel, a relative, friend or other person. [MPP 22-001(a)(5); 30-002(r)(3)]

B

Benefits Planner – Someone who can help you understand and apply for benefit programs when you become disabled or turn 65. Their goal is to help you avoid financial complications while developing a sustainable plan for the future.

Break Even Point (BEP) – This is the income amount which reduces your Supplemental Security Income payment to zero when Social Security uses the countable income calculation. Your break even point can be determined by your earned and unearned income, living arrangements, and applicable income exclusions.

C

CARE/HIPP (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency/Health Insurance Premium Payment Program) A program that pays for private health insurance premiums for individuals who are disabled due to HIV or AIDS and who do not qualify for Medi-Cal/HIPP. Enrollment is administered through AIDS organizations authorized by CARE/HIPP.

Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) Benefits for disabled adult children of recipients of Social Security disability or retirement benefits. Formerly known as Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits.

Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) The federal government pays benefits planners in communities around the country to help people think ahead about work incentives and benefits issues. CWIC’S are benefits planners who are trained by the Social Security Administration to assist beneficiaries with programs including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in addition to other related programs.

Consumer is an individual who meets the criteria for regional center services and for whom the regional center has accepted responsibility. The CDSS uses the term “recipient” for applicants and for those receiving social services. [MPP 30-002(r)(2); 30-701(c)(3)]

Countable Earned Income (CEI) The dollar amount of your earned income, after the countable income calculation, used to determine Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medi-Cal benefits. (see db101 website calculator)

D

Deeming Rules Rules used by Social Security and Medi-Cal that determine an individual’s eligibility when living with a non-disabled spouse. If the individual is a minor, deeming rules apply to the parents

Disability (Definition used by Social Security for Adults) The inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or last for a continuous period of at least 12 months. A person must not only be unable to do his/her previous work but cannot, considering age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of SGA which exists in the national economy. It is immaterial whether such work exists in the immediate area, or whether a specific job vacancy exists, or whether the worker would be hired if he/she applied for work. The worker’s impairment(s) must be the primary reason for his/her inability to engage in SGA.

Disability (Definition used by Social Security for Children) A child under age 18 will be considered disabled if he or she has a medically determinable physical or mental impairment or combination of impairments that causes marked and severe functional limitations, and that can be expected to cause death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

E

Eligible means entitled to receive necessary services. [MPP 30-002(e)]
Income eligible means entitled on the basis of having gross annual family income which does not exceed 80% of the median income for California for a family of four, adjusted for consideration of family size. Status eligible means entitled on the basis of being a Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) or a CalWORKS program recipient.

Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits Immediate reinstatement of benefits for individuals whose Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) ended due to employment. This provision is available for up to 5 years after Social Security work incentives have been exhausted.

F

Functional Index Ranking (or score) provides a measure of the consumer’s independence and need for human assistance for performance of IHSS tasks. (More Info)

G

Generic Agency means any agency which has a legal responsibility to serve all members of the general public and which is receiving public funds for providing such services. [W & I Code §4644(b)]

H

I

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) provides assistance to those eligible aged,blind and disabled individuals who are unable to remain safely in their own homes without this assistance. IHSS is an alternative to out-of-home care. [MPP 30-700.1]

In-Kind Support and Maintenance. Food and/or rent only which is supplied or paid for by someone else, not the person receiving a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cash benefit. Sometimes referred to as ISM. As of March 9, 2005, clothing is no longer considered ISM

J

K

L

Live-In Provider is a provider who is not related to the recipient and who lives in the home expressly for the purpose of providing IHSS-funded services. [MPP 30-701(l)(3)]

M

N

O

Own Home means the place in which an individual chooses to reside. Own home does NOT include: acute care hospital, skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, community care facility, or board and care facility. [MPP 30-701(o)(2)]

P

Paramedical Services Services that are prescribed by a doctor and often administered by in-home care providers. They typically require some level of training or judgment and are essential to the health of the recipient. Common examples include injections, administration of medication, catheter insertion and care, tube feeding, ventilator and oxygen care, treatment of wounds, and other services requiring sterile procedures.

Parent-to-Child Deeming Social Security’s process of figuring out how much of parents’ income is used to pay for a child’s basic needs. The amount of deemed income is subtracted from the benefit amount.

Payment Period is the time period for which IHSS wages are paid. There are two payment periods each month, 1) covering the first to the fifteenth of the month, and 2) covering the sixteenth to the end of the month. [MPP 30-701(p)(2)]

Personal Assistance Services (PAS) Services designed to assist an individual with a disability perform activities of daily living at home or in the workplace. Personal Attendant means a provider who is employed by the individual and who spends at least 80% of his/her time in the individual’s employ performing the following services:
• Preparation of meals.
• Meal clean-up.
• Planning of menus.
• Consumption of food.
• Routine bed baths.
• Bathing, oral hygiene and grooming.
• Dressing.
• Protective supervision.
[MPP 30-701(p)(4)]

Personal Care Services Program (PCSP) provides personal care services and ancillary services prescribed in accordance with a treatment plan. [MPP 30-700.2; 30-780]

Protective Supervision protective supervision is available for monitoring the behavior of non-self directing, confused, mentally impaired or mentally ill persons. [MPP 30-756.37; 30-757.17]

Q

R

Reassessment is a review of all past assessments and examination of the current condition of the individual. [MPP 30-002(r)(1)]

Recipient is a person receiving In-Home Supportive Services. [MPP 30-701(r)(l)]

Regional Center The Department of Developmental Services contracts with 21 non-profit regional centers in California to provide assessment and coordination of services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Residual refers to the State and county funded portion of the In-Home Supportive Services Program. This is also known as the non-PCSP program.

Routine bodily functions, such as bowel and bladder care, menstrual care, and respiration assistance.

• Dressing, oral hygiene, and grooming.
• Preparation and consumption of food and meal cleanup for individuals who require assistance with the preparation and consumption of food.
• Moving into and out of bed, other assistance in transferring, turning in bed, and other repositioning.
• Range of motion exercises.
• Bathing, routine bed baths, and washing.
• Ambulation and care and assistance with prosthesis.
• Rubbing of skin to promote circulation.
• Paramedical services.
• Any other function of daily living as determined by the Director.

S

Severely Impaired means a person who requires in-home supportive services of at least 20 hours per week to carry out any or all of the following: [W & I Code §12304(d); MPP 30-701(s)(1)]

Social Secutity Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides monthly disability benefits based on an insured worker’s earnings. Some IHSS consumers have SSDI.

Share of Cost (SOC): The amount of money the consumer pays for health care costs before IHSS coverage begins. Share of Cost is determined by countable income — not all consumers have a share of cost. When they do, the SOC is deducted from the home care providers pay check. It is the responsibility of the consumer to reimburse their home care provider for this deduction.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a government program that provides a monthly disability income. SSI is based on financial need rather than the number of quarters you paid in to Social Security through working. Some consumers of IHSS have SSI.

Supportive Services include domestic services and services related to domestic services, heavy cleaning, personal care services, accompaniment by a provider when needed during necessary travel to health-related appointments or to alternative resource sites, yard hazard abatement, protective supervision, teaching and demonstration directed at reducing the need for other supportive services, and paramedical services which make it possible for the recipient to establish and maintain an independent living arrangement. Supportive services includes paramedical services. (Note: Protective supervision is not included in the IHSS (PCSP) but, if needed, is included in IHSS (residual)). [W & I Code §12300.1]

T

The Blue Book (Listing of Impairments) The Social Security publication that provides detailed information about disability programs to physicians and other health care professionals. The Blue Book includes the complete Listing of Impairments, which lists and defines those conditions considered severe enough to prevent a person from doing any gainful activity. The Blue Book can now be accessed online

U

Unearned Income Funds received from sources for which no paid work activity was performed. (Examples: Disability benefits such as SDI, SSDI, SSI, STD, and LTD; income from a trust or investment, dividends, profits, or funds received from any source other than work are all examples of unearned income.)

V

Value Third Reduction Rule (VTR) A rule that decreases the amount of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit that a person is eligible for by 1/3. The VTR rules apply when someone is receiving both food and shelter from another person.

W

Work Incentives Social Security rules that are used to adjust Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits when an individual works.

X

Y

Z