209.040.  Standard of vision, vision test required, exemption — amount of payments, effect of insufficient appropriations — medical assistance — supplemental appropriations, when. — 1.  No person shall be entitled to a blind pension under sections 209.010 to 209.160 who is not blind as defined in this section.  A person is "blind" for purposes of qualifying for a blind pension under this section if his or her vision cannot be corrected to better than five two-hundredths, in the better eye, or if his or her visual field is less than or equal to five degrees as tested with five millimeter target on perimeter in the better eye, for a period that lasted or is expected to last at least twelve months.  No person shall be entitled to receive a pension except upon a scientific vision test as determined by the department of social services and supported by a certificate of an ophthalmologist, a physician skilled in disease of the eye, or an optometrist, designated or approved by the department of social services to make such examination.

  2.  In order to continue to be eligible to receive a pension under the provisions of this section, a person shall present to the department of social services every fifth year after the initial vision test, or sooner at the request of the department if the department has reason to believe the person is not eligible for a blind pension, a new certificate of an ophthalmologist, a physician skilled in disease of the eye, or an optometrist, designated or approved by the department to make a scientific vision test that such person continues to meet the requirements of this section.  The ophthalmologist, physician, or optometrist who conducted the vision test may indicate that a reexamination should be performed in less than five years if the person's vision may reasonably be expected to improve within five years.  Persons who have been deemed by an ophthalmologist, a physician skilled in disease of the eye, or an optometrist to have no usable vision in the better eye shall be exempt from the five-year reexamination requirement of this subsection, but shall not be exempt from reexamination at the request of the department if the department has reasonable cause to believe that the person may not be blind.

  3.  Every person who is eligible for a blind pension under sections 209.010 to 209.160 shall be entitled to receive a monthly pension in an amount established by appropriations made by the general assembly for that purpose but not less than three hundred forty dollars; except that pensions to the blind as provided herein shall not be payable to a blind person unless such person has been declared ineligible to receive aid under the federal supplemental security income program, nor shall pensions to the blind as provided herein be payable to any person who is receiving general relief assistance.

  4.  If the funds at the disposal of or which may be obtained by the department of social services for the payment of benefits under this section shall at any time become insufficient to pay the full amount of benefits to each person entitled thereto, the amount of benefits of each one of such persons shall be reduced pro rata in proportion to such deficiency in the total amount available or to become available for such purpose.

  5.  Medical assistance for blind recipients eligible for such assistance under the provisions of sections 208.151 to 208.158 shall be payable as provided in sections 208.151 to 208.158 without regard to any durational residence requirement for eligibility out of funds designated for such medical assistance and not from the blind pension fund.

  6.  The monthly pension provided in subsection 3 of this section shall be set by the general assembly annually and may be adjusted by a supplemental appropriation bill.  The department of social services shall submit to the general assembly a projected estimate of the monthly pension payment for each upcoming fiscal year with the department's proposed budget request for each upcoming fiscal year.  The estimate may consider projected revenues from the tax levied under section 209.130, the projected balance in the blind pension fund, projected cash flow estimates to the blind pension fund, and estimates of the number of persons eligible to receive blind pension payments in each upcoming fiscal year.  The department may consult with the state treasurer, the department of revenue, and other sources in estimating projected revenues under this subsection.  The estimated change in the monthly pension payment for each upcoming fiscal year shall be calculated as follows:  one-twelfth of the quotient obtained by dividing seventy-five percent of the annual change in the amount of funds in the blind pension fund for the preceding fiscal year by the projected number of persons eligible to receive the monthly pension provided in subsection 1 of this section.