675 F.2d 44 (2nd Cir. 1982), 81-7278, Calkins v. Blum

• Docket Nº: 81-7278 and 81-7214.
• Citation: 675 F.2d 44
• Party Name: Kenneth CALKINS, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees-Cross-Appellants, Curtise Williams, et al., Plaintiffs-Intervenors-Cross-Appellants-Appellees, v. Barbara B. BLUM, Individually and as Commissioner of the New York State Dept. of Social Services, et al., Defendants-Appellants-Cross-Appellees. Phyllis COREY, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Barbara BLUM, as Commis
• Case Date: March 18, 1982
• Court: United States Courts of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Page 44

675 F.2d 44 (2nd Cir. 1982)

Kenneth CALKINS, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees-Cross-Appellants,

Curtise Williams, et al.,

Plaintiffs-Intervenors-Cross-Appellants-Appellees,

v.

Barbara B. BLUM, Individually and as Commissioner of the New

York State Dept. of Social Services, et al.,

Defendants-Appellants-Cross-Appellees.

Phyllis COREY, Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.

Barbara BLUM, as Commissioner of the New York State

Department of Social Services, Defendant-Appellant.

Nos. 178, 414, 197 and 179, Dockets 81-7218, 81-7276,

81-7278 and 81-7214.

United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

March 18, 1982

Argued Nov. 18, 1981.

Alan W. Rubenstein, Asst. Atty. Gen., Albany, N.Y. (Robert Abrams, Atty. Gen. of State of N.Y., William J. Kogan, Asst. Sol. Gen., Albany, N.Y., on brief), for defendant-appellant-cross-appellee State Com'r of Social Services.

James H. Hughes, Syracuse, N.Y. (Ira S. Dubnoff, Syracuse, N.Y., on brief), for defendant-appellant-cross-appellee John L. Lascaris.

Rene H. Reixach, Rochester, N.Y. (Maurie Heins, Syracuse, N.Y., Paul M. Ryther, Bath, N.Y., Raymond Rodriguez, Batavia, N.Y., on brief), for plaintiffs-appellees-cross-appellants Kenneth Calkins, et al.

Cornell Legal Aid Clinic, Barry Strom, Strom, Masson & Pozner, Ithaca, N.Y., on brief (Sharon Brautigam, law student, of counsel), for plaintiff-appellee Phyllis Corey.

Before TIMBERS and NEWMAN, Circuit Judges, and ZAMPANO, ^[*] District Judge.

PER CURIAM:

In these related appeals, plaintiffs challenge the administration of New York's

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Medicaid program during the time period prior to New York's conversion to a "209b" plan, 42 U.S.C. § 1396a(f) (1976), on August 29, 1980 and prior to the changes in the Medicaid statute enacted by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981, Pub.L.No.97-35. Under the Medicaid statute in effect during this period, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1396-1396k, states choosing to participate had to provide medical assistance to the "categorically needy"-those aged, blind, or disabled individuals and families qualifying for federal cash assistance under the Supplementary Security Income (SSI) program, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1381-1383, or under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, 42 U.S.C. §§ 601-644. In addition, states could choose, as New York did to provide medical assistance to the "medically needy"-those aged, blind, or disabled individuals and families, who would qualify for SSI and AFDC benefits if their incomes were lower. 42 U.S.C. § 1396a(a)(10)(C) (1976) (repealed). The group of medically needy thus includes those who are "SSI medically needy" and those who are "AFDC medically needy." But states choosing to aid the medically needy had to treat such recipients "comparabl(y)" to categorically needy recipients. 42 U.S.C. § 1396a(a)(10)(C) (1976) (repealed); id. § 1396a(a)(17); Caldwell v. Blum, 621 F.2d 491 (2d Cir. 1980), cert. denied, 452 U.S. 909, 101 S.Ct. 3039, 69 L.Ed.2d 412 (1981); Greklek v. Toia, 565 F.2d 1259 (2d Cir. 1977) (per curiam ), cert. denied, 436 U.S. 962, 98 S.Ct. 3081, 57 L.Ed.2d 1128 (1978); Aitchison v. Berger, 404 F.Supp. 1137 (S.D.N.Y.1975), aff'd without opinion, 538 F.2d 307 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 890, 97 S.Ct. 246, 50 L.Ed.2d 172 (1976).

This comparability requirement is at the center of the controversy in the action before us. Plaintiffs claim that New York violated this requirement, as to SSI medically needy, by failing to apply SSI income disregards to the earned income of ineligible spouses of...