January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Posted January 6, 2017 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® glaucomaMore than 3 million people in the United States currently suffer with glaucoma. The National Eye Institute projects this number will reach 4.2 million by 2030, a 58 percent increase. Glaucoma is called “the sneak thief of sight” since there are no symptoms and once vision is lost, it’s permanent. As much as 40% of vision can be lost without a person noticing.

If you have glaucoma, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits under Adult Listings 2.02, 2.03, or 2.04 for your visual disorder. Social Security defines visual disorders as abnormalities of the eye, the optic nerve, the optic tracts, or the brain that may cause a loss of visual acuity or visual fields. A loss of visual acuity limits your ability to distinguish detail, read, or do fine work. A loss of visual fields limits your ability to perceive visual stimuli in the peripheral extent of vision.

To evaluate your visual disorder, Social Security will usually need a report of an eye examination that includes measurements of your best-corrected central visual acuity or the extent of your visual fields, as appropriate. If you have visual acuity or visual field loss, Social Security needs documentation of the cause of the loss. A standard eye examination will usually indicate the cause of any visual acuity loss. A standard eye examination can also indicate the cause of some types of visual field deficits.

If you or someone you know is struggling to work with glaucoma, please contact us for a free evaluation.

By Thomas A. Klint of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

Open Enrollment for the Affordable Care Act Coverage

Posted January 3, 2017 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® Enrollment for affordable healthcare is open until January 31, 2017, which is the last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan. You can learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace and how to apply for benefits at www.healthcare.gov.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) also ensures that even if you have a pre-existing condition you will be covered. If you are already covered, but want to change your plan, this is the time to do it. You or your family may have experienced changes over the last year that would make you want to update your coverage. Over the past two open enrollment periods, over 20 million individuals have enrolled in affordable health coverage, many for the first time. We now have the lowest uninsured rate in the country’s history.

  • January 1, 2017: 2017 coverage starts for those who enrolled or changed plans by December 15.
  • January 31, 2017: Last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan. After this date, you can enroll or change plans only if you qualify for a special enrollment period.

If you are curious about the many plans in the open marketplace, you can compare healthcare plans at https://www.healthcare.gov/have-coverage.

Social Security Disability Benefits While Living Abroad

Posted December 26, 2016 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® Can I receive my benefits living abroad?

If you are a United States citizen, you can travel or live in most foreign countries without affecting your eligibility for Social Security benefits. However, if you reside in Cuba or North Korea, you cannot receive your Social Security benefits because of the U.S. Treasury Department payment restrictions.  Also, if you go to any of the following countries you can receive your Social Security benefits only if you meet and agree to certain restricted conditions – Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

If you are not a United States citizen, the law requires Social Security to stop your payments after you have been outside the United States for six consecutive calendar months, unless you meet one of several exceptions in the law allowing your benefits to continue.  Most of these exceptions are based on your country of citizenship, residence, or on other conditions.

Can I apply work overseas to my U.S. Social Security record?

The Social Security Administration generally does not transfer Social Security credits from one country to another. But your work overseas may help you qualify for Social Security benefits from the United States or an agreement country. This is because the United States has agreements with 24 countries to coordinate social security programs across national boundaries. This helps people who worked in both the United States and in an agreement country who may have not worked long enough in either to qualify for benefits. Click here for more information on U.S. International Social Security Agreements: https://www.ssa.gov/international/agreements_overview.html

By: Thomas A. Klint of Premier Disability Services, LLC®