It’s Open Enrollment for Medicare!

Each year, you have a chance to make changes to your Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug coverage for the following year. The open enrollment period for Medicare for 2019 coverage began on October 15, 2018 and will continue through December 7, 2018.

During this annual enrollment period, you can make changes to various aspects of your coverage.

• You can switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage or vice versa.
• You can also switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, or from one Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan to another.
• And if you didn’t enroll in a Medicare Part D plan when you were first eligible, you can do so during the general open enrollment, although a late enrollment penalty may apply.

If you want to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you must meet some basic criteria.

• You must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and B.
• You must live in the plan’s service area.
• You cannot have End-Stage Renal Disease (some exceptions apply).

There are specific times when you can sign up for these plans, or make changes to coverage you already have. You don’t need to sign up for Medicare each year. However, each year you’ll have a chance to review your coverage and change plans.

If you didn’t sign up for Medicare A and B when you were first eligible, you have a chance to do so each year from January 1 to March 31, with coverage effective July 1.  You may be subject to a late enrollment penalty, however.  For Medicare Part B, the penalty is an additional 10 percent of the premium for each 12-month period that you were eligible but not enrolled.

If you have questions about Medicare, please feel free to give us a call at 1-877-749-5262. Our team of Medicare specialists may be able to assist you.

Read more here: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Reach-Out/Find-tools-to-help-you-help-others/Medicare-Open-Enrollment.html

Plan finder: https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/home.aspx

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated globally on November 14 to raise awareness about both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. One in 10 Americans have diabetes — that’s more than 30 million people. And another 84 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes[1].

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. It happens when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to process glucose. It can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems if it’s not controlled.

Symptoms of both diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2 include frequent urination, unusual thirst and hunger, and extreme fatigue. People with type 2 diabetes also can suffer from tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, frequent infections, and cuts that are slow to heal.

Complications from diabetes can include:

• nephropathy (kidney disease);
• neuropathy (nerve damage) in feet or hands that disrupts your ability to stand, walk, or use your hands;
• retinopathy (eye and vision problems);
• cellulitis and other skin infections;
• hypertension (high blood pressure);
• heart disease;
• stroke;
• gastroparesis (a type of nerve damage that interferes with digestion);
• peripheral arterial disease (reduced blood flow to your limbs); and
• depression.

If you have uncontrolled diabetes and you have been prevented from working for at least 12 months, or you expect that you won’t be able to work for at least 12 months, then you may be eligible for Social Security disability (SSDI/SSD) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will look for information that shows how well you can use your arms and hands, stand, and walk. The SSA is also interested in whether you can focus on tasks, get along with others, and come to work on a regular basis. For instance, if you have poor control over your glucose levels during the day, the SSA might find that you are unable to concentrate for long periods of time. Similarly, if you have neuropathy in your legs from your diabetes, you might be unable to stand and walk for long periods of time.

If you or someone you know is unable to work due to a medical condition(s), please contact us for a free evaluation of your case!

[1] https://healthfinder.gov/NHO/NovemberToolkit.aspx

By: Tom Klint of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®

The Work History Report

Many people who apply for Social Security Disability benefits (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) don’t realize how important their work history is to their chances of being awarded benefits. SSDI and SSI are awarded to those with a severe, ongoing medical condition that prevents them from performing their current job, a past job, or any other work to which they may be suited. Your work history is critical in determining his or her ability to maintain gainful employment.

Disability decisions are based primarily upon two things: 1) information contained in your medical records and 2) your work history. In deciding your claim, the disability examiner, often with the help of a medical consultant, will review your medical records to determine your maximum residual functional capacity (RFC). An RFC assessment specifies activities that you can and cannot perform because of your medical impairment. The examiner then analyzes whether your RFC allows you to return to your prior job or any relevant jobs you’ve done in the past 15 years, or whether you have job skills that can transfer to another type of job.

The claims examiner will look closely at the requirements of your prior jobs to see if you should be able to return to one of them, given your RFC. The examiner needs to know the details of the prior work you’ve done to determine if you can return to it, or if your impairment precludes you from doing the job. If the examiner doesn’t know the true requirements of the job, the examiner might think you’re able to do the job when you’re not. For example, if your job required that you had to occasionally lift 50 pounds, but you’ve been given a “light RFC” due to a back injury, the examiner should find that you can’t go back to the past work. But, if the examiner doesn’t know that your prior job required you to lift 50 pounds occasionally, the examiner could say that you should be able to return to your prior job, and can deny you benefits on that basis.

Those who apply for disability benefits can improve their chances of approval by providing a solid work history at the time of their initial interview or in their Work History Report (Form SSA-3369) detailing their job duties. In addition to providing information about prior job duties and skills, a long work history can show a judge that you have been a hard worker, not just someone looking for a handout. This can help your credibility at a hearing.

The Work History Report will ask about your past job titles, duties required in each position, and the skills and experience you gained in each job. From this, the Social Security Administration (SSA) can gain insight into the physical and mental requirements of your former work, as well as your job skills that affect the kinds of jobs you are qualified to do.

Consistency and completeness are crucial concepts to keep in mind when you fill out every form. Never leave any question or field in the form blank. Even if you are not sure if the question applies to you, make sure you enter something in every answer section of the form. When blanks are left on the form, the SSA must collect more information before they can make a decision on your SSD claim. This only delays the decision-making process. Furthermore, you should provide additional information when needed. Some sections of the Work History Report ask for “further explanation” of the answers you provide. Make your responses in these sections thoroughly detailed. For example, the form asks you to explain “lifting and carrying” activities that were part of your job. Ensure your answer includes detailed descriptions of what you lifted and carried, how often, and why.

A licensed advocate or attorney can help you make sure that your statements improve your chances of receiving disability benefits rather than harming them. If you or someone you know is unable to work due to a medical condition(s), please contact us for a free evaluation of your claim!

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®