12/15/2020
Action Memo
Effective January 2021, the Integrated Eligibility System (IES) will perform an update to reflect the 2021 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits. Due to the public health emergency, IES will not update/run eligibility based on the COLA for Medical EDG(s) in order to ensure no increases are applied to Spenddown or Group Care Credit amounts.
The systematic IES override established to maintain eligibility will continue to prevent the closure of currently active and newly approved medical EDG(s) as described in Policy Memo COVID-19 Pandemic Response - Update Ensuring Access to Care dated 04/14/2020.
Eligibility will update/run based on the COLA for SNAP and Cash EDG(s) as usual. Refer to Action Memo 2021 SSA and SSI Benefit Increase Cash and SNAP dated 12/01/2020 for further guidance.
[signed copy on file]
Grace B. Hou
Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services
Theresa Eagleson
Director, Healthcare and Family Services
