Provider Notice issued 01/21/2026

Information Regarding the 2026 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Increase and File Download through the Medical Electronic Data Interchange (MEDI) System

This notice is to inform Long Term Care (LTC) providers that a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) has been approved for all persons receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits effective January 2026.

The COLA is 2.8% for 2026. The maximum Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for a single person is increased from $967 to $994. The maximum SSI for a couple is increased from $1,450 to $1,491. Additionally, as part of the COLA update, the 2026 Supportive Living Program (SLP) room and board amount and the 2026 Medicare premium will be updated for LTC cases. Eligibility will run to update the group care credit for 1/2026 and a 360C will be generated.

Based on this increase, the budgeting process has been automated to achieve timely processing of the increased SSA benefits for Medical Assistance residents. Updates to the patient credit amount in the HFS payment system based on the COLA increase have also been automated. The updates were completed on 01/13/2026. The HFS 2449A LTC Transaction Report will reflect the updated amounts. The report was issued on 01/14/2026. Providers may download the report by following the instructions below. 

1.    Login to MEDI 
2.    Select Internet Electronic Claims (IEC) 
3.    Select Download File(s)
4.    Choose the “Entity” from the drop-down box 
5.    Select the file you wish to download from the “Available Files” listed 
6.  Enter a “Local Directory Location” (a folder created on your computer or network) to accept the downloaded file. 
7.    Click “Download Files” button 
8.    Go to your designated directory location 
9.    Open the downloaded file (recommended program is WordPad)

Note: The patient credit amount listed in the HFS payment system, which can be viewed via the MEDI LTC Inquiry, should be considered the source of truth. If you disagree with the patient credit amount listed in the HFS payment system, an LTC Income Change transaction should be submitted in MEDI. The proper verification documents should be submitted to the appropriate LTC Medical Field Operations (MFO) office via fax, mail, or ABE Managed My Case (MMC). For more information on sending documentation, refer to the Provider Notice Issued 04/29/2021.

If you have questions, contact the Bureau of Long Term Care via email at HFS.LTC@illinois.gov or toll free at 844-528-8444.    

Laura Phelan, Administrator
Division of Medical Programs