What is Deeming and Why Does it Exist?
The most common form of deeming is referred to as Parental deeming.  This is when a parent’s income and/or assets are counted towards the child’s resources when applying or receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This occurs when the child is under the age of 18 and is living in the same household as his/her parents.  Parental deeming still applies if the child is attending school away from the household temporarily and comes home on the weekends, for holidays, school vacations, and/or is still subject to parental control (SI 01320.500).  Additionally, an adopted parent and step-parent’s income if living in the same household still counts towards a child’s eligibility for SSI.  It’s important to note however, that if a child is receiving SSI his/her income and resources do not deem to the parent even though a parent’s income and resources deem to their child (SI 01320.100). 
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According to the Social Security Administrations (SSA) policies as defined by the Program Operating Manual System (POMS), it can be inferred that Parental Deeming exists because it is the responsibility of a parent to care for their child.  However, the SSA recognizes the complexity of these situations, and in a later section we will discuss when parental deeming does not apply.
Another form of deeming is Sponsor-to-Alien deeming (SI 00502.200).  This occurs when an individual sponsors an alien who is entering the United States.  Unlike parental deeming, this form of deeming applies regardless of whether the Alien lives with their sponsor.  However, the rules regarding deemed income and assets are similar to parental deeming, as further described below.  To understand when an alien is eligible for SSI please refer to the POMS labeled SI 00502.200 and the corresponding POMS based on when the Alien applied for immigrate visas or adjustment of status (SI 00502.100, SI 00502.215).

What Income and Assets Deem to the Child or Alien?

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, also known as DRA, is a Federal law that grants states the ability to modify their Medicaid programs. This allows individual states to reform their Medicaid programs to fit with the present health care environment while maintaining federal guidelines. In short, it is a Federal law that is implemented in each state differently.

What were the Significant Provisions of the DRA? 
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