RESOURCES & BROCHURES

SNAP Medical Expenses Deduction

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Are You Applying For or Already Getting SNAP (formerly called Food Stamps)?

Do You Have Medical Bills or Other Medical Costs?

If you are elderly (age 60 or older) or a person who is disabled, you may be able to subtract certain approved medical costs from your gross income. Because these subtracted medical costs (called “deductions”) are not included in your income, it may make you eligible to get food stamps. If you are already getting food stamps, the deduction may raise the amount of food stamps you
are getting now.

To be deducted, your medical costs must be more than $35 per month. You may not deduct any medical costs for which you will be paid back (or “reimbursed”). Even if you are not elderly or disabled, you may still deduct allowable medical costs for anyone in your household who is age 60 or older or disabled. The types of medical costs that can be deducted include:

  • Home health aides or health attendants;
  • Prescription drugs and other medications like insulin, if they are
    prescribed by a doctor or other health care professional;
  • Costs of transportation or lodging that are necessary to get medical
    services;
  • Medical and dental care;
  • Unpaid medical bills;
  • Medical supplies and equipment like eyeglasses, contact lenses,
    dentures, hearing aids, etc., if prescribed by a doctor.

To apply for SNAP or to find out if you qualify for medical deductions, please call your local South Carolina DSS office or 1-800-768-5700 for general SNAP information.

This brochure was produced by the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center. This brochure is for information only. If you
think you need legal assistance, you may want to contact your local legal services program by calling Legal Aid Telephone Intake
Service for a referral at 744-9430 in Columbia or toll free at (888) 346-5592 from other places in the state. SC Appleseed fights for low income South Carolinians toovercome social, economic and legal injustice.
To find out more about SC Appleseed, go to: www.scjustice.org
Copyright retained by SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center.
For permission to reproduce this brochure contact
SC Appleseed, PO Box 7187, Columbia, SC 29202
Reprinted March 2013