IM-51 April 26, 2002
Section 1902 (a) of the Social Security Act requires application for and divulgence of a SSN as a condition of eligibility for MAF. This requirement applies only to those persons for whom healthcare coverage is being requested or received. It does not apply to parents or children included in the assistance group for whom coverage has not been requested.
Obtain a copy of the Social Security card for all person for whom coverage is requested at the time of the initial application whenever possible. If a card is not available but the number is know, accept the applicant’s statement and enter the Social Security number into the SUPD system. If the number is correct, it will be verified by the system. It is only necessary to obtain further verification if the system match returns an indicator other than “V”.
For persons requesting coverage who do not have a SSN, proof of application for the SSN must be obtained prior to the individual’s approval. If the IBTH screen indicates a SSN was requested, further verification is not required.
Do not deny or delay approval pending issuance of an SSN once the application for the SSN has been completed.
Advise the family the social security numbers will be used to determine eligibility and verify information.