Welcome to Hart-Supported Living unit two: Eligibility. Learning objective: in this unit, we will learn how to define Hart Supported Living eligibility​. 


Any individual with a disability who resides in Kentucky or whose family or guardian resides in Kentucky is eligible to apply for a grant from Hart Supported Living. Hart-Supported Living uses the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition of a person with a disability: someone with a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity such as walking, talking, seeing, hearing, caring for oneself, or working. 


To be eligible to apply for Hart Supported Living funds, the person with a disability may live with a family member, live alone, or live in a group setting. A person with a disability who currently lives in an institution, nursing home, or group home may request a grant to move out of that setting and into a living arrangement that meets the principles of Hart Supported living. 


Applicants who receive support services through Medicaid or a Medicaid Waiver are not eligible for those services through a Hart-Supported Living grant. However, those applicants may apply for a grant to cover qualifying services that are not available or exceed program limits through Medicaid. 


Applicants for Hart Supported Living funds must also meet financial eligibility requirements. Applicants must have an annual household adjusted gross income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines​. Family size is taken into consideration​. Allowable “out of pocket” expenses may be deducted from the adjusted gross income to arrive at an adjusted number for qualification purposes. Information is available about annual adjusted gross income. 


Applicants who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social-Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are counted as a family of 1.​


Disability related expenses may be deducted from the Annual Adjusted Gross Income. This will provide a revised number showing Available Income. Disability-related expenses include: medical care (office visits, lab work, prescriptions​), health Insurance Premiums and Deductibles​, Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses​, Medical Devices and Equipment - glasses, prosthetics, etc.​, Attendant Care or Personal Care Expenses​, Transportation expenses​, Mental Health Services - therapy, counseling​, Medical Supplies​, Cost of a vehicle modification expenses, and Other disability related expenses​. Let’s look at an example.


Diamond and her partner are a family of two. Their total adjusted gross income is $51,200. This amount is over the qualifying number for Hart Supported Living eligibility. ​


Diamond makes a list of all qualifying disability-related expenses for the prior year. She includes medical expenses, prescriptions, health insurance premiums, personal care, equipment, and transportation costs. For the prior year, this total was $11,100. ​


By deducting the qualifying disability related expenses, Diamond’s adjusted gross income meets the eligibility requirements for Hart Supported Living. 


Hart Supported Living provides a spreadsheet to assist applicants in determining financial eligibility. ​This document is available in our Resources section. Applicants who are not awarded funds one year may reapply again the next year. 


If you need more information to determine the eligibility of you or someone you support, contact the Hart Supported Living Program coordinator for your area. Contact numbers are provided in the “contact” section of this module. 


Learning Stop


Number One: true or false? Hart Supported Living has a financial eligibility requirement.​


The correct answer is true.


Number Two: true or false? A person with a disability who lives in a nursing home may apply for Hart Supported Living funds to move into their own home and hire staff to provide support.


The correct answer is true.


Number Three: true or false? You may only apply once to Hart Supported Living. 


The correct answer is false. 


If your plan does not receive funding, you are encouraged to apply again each year. 


This concludes Hart-Supported Living Unit Two: Eligibility.