From 1abbaf77423bcf7e2f53172e167a24ee0fdbc873 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ziming Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:03:10 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Set North Carolina's 2027 Special Assistance rates to the approved COLA G.S. 108A-42.1(a) and (b) adjust the basic and enhanced rates each January using the federally approved Social Security COLA, which SSA rounds to a tenth of a percent: 3.6% for 2027. gov.ssa.uprating applies the unrounded CPI-W ratio (3.62%), which put the basic rate a dollar high. List the 2027 rates, 1,397 * 1.036 -> 1,447 and 1,792 * 1.036 -> 1,857, citing the statute and SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet; later years still project from gov.ssa.uprating. Case 37 becomes 1,447 / 1,029 / 488, and a new rate case covers the 2027 enhanced rate. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 --- changelog.d/nc-sa-2027-statutory-rates.fixed.md | 1 + .../gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/basic.yaml | 10 ++++++++-- .../gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/enhanced.yaml | 10 ++++++++-- .../baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml | 15 +++++++-------- .../gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa_rate.yaml | 14 ++++++++++++++ 5 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) create mode 100644 changelog.d/nc-sa-2027-statutory-rates.fixed.md diff --git a/changelog.d/nc-sa-2027-statutory-rates.fixed.md b/changelog.d/nc-sa-2027-statutory-rates.fixed.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..609283eaaa4 --- /dev/null +++ b/changelog.d/nc-sa-2027-statutory-rates.fixed.md @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Set North Carolina's 2027 State-County Special Assistance rates to the federally approved 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment ($1,447 basic, $1,857 enhanced) instead of the unrounded CPI-W ratio. diff --git a/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/basic.yaml b/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/basic.yaml index ab22c2f1430..45eeecbd6e9 100644 --- a/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/basic.yaml +++ b/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/basic.yaml @@ -1,13 +1,17 @@ description: North Carolina provides this amount as the maximum monthly basic rate under the State-County Special Assistance program. values: 2026-01-01: 1_397 + # 1,397 * 1.036 = 1,447.29, with the 3.6% COLA. + 2027-01-01: 1_447 metadata: unit: currency-USD period: month label: North Carolina SA basic rate - # G.S. 108A-42.1(a) adjusts the rate each January 1 by the Social Security - # cost-of-living adjustment; the published rate replaces the projection. + # G.S. 108A-42.1(a) adjusts the rate each January 1 by the federally approved + # Social Security COLA: SSA's percentage, rounded to a tenth, not the + # unrounded CPI-W ratio in gov.ssa.uprating. Years after the last listed one + # are projected from gov.ssa.uprating until SSA announces the COLA. uprating: parameter: gov.ssa.uprating rounding: @@ -16,6 +20,8 @@ metadata: reference: - title: North Carolina General Statutes § 108A-42.1(a) href: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_108A/GS_108A-42.1.pdf + - title: Social Security Administration 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet + href: https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2027.html - title: "North Carolina Special Assistance Manual SA-3220 II.A and VIII #page 204,219" href: https://policies.ncdhhs.gov/wp-content/uploads/Special-Assistance-Manual-Rev-June-2026.pdf#page=204 - title: North Carolina Change Notice EFS-SA-CN-01-2026 I diff --git a/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/enhanced.yaml b/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/enhanced.yaml index 6bd404365dc..294e987c9da 100644 --- a/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/enhanced.yaml +++ b/policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/rate/enhanced.yaml @@ -1,13 +1,17 @@ description: North Carolina provides this amount as the maximum monthly enhanced rate for special care units and in-home recipients with Alzheimer's disease or dementia under the State-County Special Assistance program. values: 2026-01-01: 1_792 + # 1,792 * 1.036 = 1,856.51, with the 3.6% COLA. + 2027-01-01: 1_857 metadata: unit: currency-USD period: month label: North Carolina SA enhanced rate - # G.S. 108A-42.1(b) adjusts the rate each January 1 by the Social Security - # cost-of-living adjustment; the published rate replaces the projection. + # G.S. 108A-42.1(b) adjusts the rate each January 1 by the federally approved + # Social Security COLA: SSA's percentage, rounded to a tenth, not the + # unrounded CPI-W ratio in gov.ssa.uprating. Years after the last listed one + # are projected from gov.ssa.uprating until SSA announces the COLA. uprating: parameter: gov.ssa.uprating rounding: @@ -16,6 +20,8 @@ metadata: reference: - title: North Carolina General Statutes § 108A-42.1(b) href: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_108A/GS_108A-42.1.pdf + - title: Social Security Administration 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet + href: https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2027.html - title: "North Carolina Special Assistance Manual SA-3220 II.B and VIII #page 205,219" href: https://policies.ncdhhs.gov/wp-content/uploads/Special-Assistance-Manual-Rev-June-2026.pdf#page=205 - title: North Carolina Change Notice EFS-SA-CN-01-2026 I diff --git a/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml b/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml index bb91214fa85..e70592d837c 100644 --- a/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml +++ b/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml @@ -484,9 +484,9 @@ nc_sa_eligible: false nc_sa: 0 -# G.S. 108A-42.1 adjusts the rates each January 1 by the Social Security -# cost-of-living adjustment. The 2027 rate is uprated until North Carolina -# publishes it; the 2027 FBR is the SSA amount announced with the 3.6% COLA. +# G.S. 108A-42.1 adjusts the rates each January 1 by the federally approved +# Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, 3.6% for 2027; the 2027 FBR is +# the SSA amount announced with it. # https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_108A/GS_108A-42.1.pdf - name: Case 37, basic facility rate follows the cost-of-living adjustment in 2027. period: 2027-01 @@ -496,13 +496,12 @@ age: 65 nc_sa_care_setting: ADULT_CARE_HOME output: - # 1,397 uprated by the Social Security index (2027 CPI-W 328.746 / 2026 - # 317.265 = 1.036187) and rounded to the dollar: 1,447.55 -> 1,448. - nc_sa_rate: 1_448 + # 1,397 * 1.036 = 1,447.29 -> 1,447. + nc_sa_rate: 1_447 # 2027 SSI federal benefit rate. ssi: 1_029 - # 1,448 + 70 - 1,029 = 489. - nc_sa: 489 + # 1,447 + 70 - 1,029 = 488. + nc_sa: 488 # An applicant "ineligible for SSI solely due to being over income for SSI" # qualifies without applying for SSI (SA-3100 I, II.A.6): "If the a/b diff --git a/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa_rate.yaml b/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa_rate.yaml index ef5b484b3b9..e840e41b43b 100644 --- a/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa_rate.yaml +++ b/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa_rate.yaml @@ -76,3 +76,17 @@ nc_sa_facility_rate: 1_000 output: nc_sa_rate: 1_397 + +# G.S. 108A-42.1(b) adjusts the enhanced rate by the federally approved Social +# Security cost-of-living adjustment, 3.6% for 2027. +# https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_108A/GS_108A-42.1.pdf +- name: Case 8, enhanced special care unit rate follows the cost-of-living adjustment in 2027. + period: 2027-01 + absolute_error_margin: 0.01 + input: + state_code: NC + age: 65 + nc_sa_care_setting: SPECIAL_CARE_UNIT + output: + # 1,792 * 1.036 = 1,856.51 -> 1,857. + nc_sa_rate: 1_857 From 3f44a6e793b5fb77cbb53ed987906feca848bec9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ziming Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:08:11 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Pin the 2027 NC Special Assistance basic cutoff The 2027 basic maintenance amount is 1,447 + 70 = 1,517, so TCMI of 1,516.50 still pays $1 and 1,516.51 is ineligible (SA-3220 III.C). Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 --- .../gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml | 29 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+) diff --git a/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml b/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml index e70592d837c..fae4c01fcb3 100644 --- a/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml +++ b/policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/nc/ncdhhs/sa/nc_sa.yaml @@ -561,3 +561,32 @@ nc_sa: 2026-01: 746 2026-02: 473 + +# SA-3220 III.C: the payment is the maintenance amount less TCMI, rounded to +# the dollar with half a dollar rounding up; under $1 is ineligible. The 2027 +# basic maintenance amount is 1,447 + 70 = 1,517, so the cutoff is 1,516.51. +- name: Case 41, basic half dollar in 2027 rounds up to one dollar. + period: 2027-01 + absolute_error_margin: 0.01 + input: + state_code: NC + age: 65 + nc_sa_care_setting: ADULT_CARE_HOME + nc_sa_countable_income: 1_516.5 + output: + nc_sa_eligible: true + # 1,517 - 1,516.50 = 0.50 -> 1. + nc_sa: 1 + +- name: Case 42, basic 2027 cutoff makes the applicant ineligible. + period: 2027-01 + absolute_error_margin: 0.01 + input: + state_code: NC + age: 65 + nc_sa_care_setting: ADULT_CARE_HOME + nc_sa_countable_income: 1_516.51 + output: + # 1,517 - 1,516.51 = 0.49 -> 0, under the $1 minimum. + nc_sa_eligible: false + nc_sa: 0