(a) To be eligible for a Medicaid-funded program for the elderly and people with disabilities (MEPD), a person must be aged, blind, or disabled, according to the following criteria:
  (1) Aged. A person must be 65 years of age or older to be considered aged, in accordance with 42 U.S.C. §1382c(a)(1)(A).
  (2) Blind.
    (A) To be considered blind for eligibility purposes, a person must meet the criteria in 42 U.S.C. §1382c(a)(2).
    (B) There is no minimum age requirement for a person who is blind.
    (C) A person must have a medical determination of blindness before the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) can determine eligibility.
  (3) Disabled.
    (A) To be considered disabled for eligibility purposes, a person must meet the criteria in 42 U.S.C. §1382c(a)(3).
    (B) There is no minimum age requirement for a person who is disabled, unless the person lives in an institution for mental diseases as described in §358.213 of this subchapter (relating to Resident of an Institution for Mental Diseases).
    (C) A person must have a medical determination of a disability before HHSC can determine eligibility.
(b) A person under 65 years of age who has applied for Supplemental Security Income, and subsequently applies for retroactive coverage, must have a medical determination of blindness or a disability effective during any month of coverage that the person was under 65 years of age.

Source Note: The provisions of this §358.211 adopted to be effective September 1, 2009, 34 TexReg 5497