Will I Automatically Receive Medicaid When I Receive SSI?

Federal law requires States to provide health insurance to certain groups. Medicaid is a program which provides health insurance to low-income individuals who are 65 or older, are blind, or disabled. However, whether a disabled individual automatically receives Medicaid coverage depends upon which state they reside in.

For example, in thirty-two states and the District of Columbia, individuals who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are also eligible for Medicaid. The application for SSI serves as the application for Medicaid. As a result, resident in these states will automatically receive Medicaid coverage with SSI eligibility.

However, the following states require a separate application for Medicaid, although these states use the same eligibility criteria that the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses for SSI eligibility: Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and the Northern Mariana Islands. As a result, in addition to applying for SSI, residents of these states will need to file a separate application for Medicaid, typically through the health insurance marketplace or through the state’s Medicaid agency.

On the other hand, some states apply their own criteria for Medicaid eligibility. These criteria differ from those used by the SSA. Such criteria may include: household size, household income, assets, age, and medical need. Residents of Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia must file an application for Medicaid separate from their application for SSI.

If you or someone you know is struggling with increasing medical costs due to an ongoing disability, please contact us today for a free case evaluation!

By: Nicole Hayes of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®

Social Security Disability Benefits for Dependents

Around 4.4 million children receive approximately $2.5 billion each month because one or both of their parents are disabled, retired, or deceased. Those dollars help to provide the necessities of life for family members and help to make it possible for those children (dependents) to complete high school. When a parent becomes disabled or dies, Social Security benefits help to stabilize the family’s financial future.

Who can qualify?

Your child can get benefits if he or she is your biological child, adopted child, or dependent stepchild.

To get benefits, a child must have:

• A parent(s) who is disabled or retired and entitled to Social Security benefits; or
• A parent(s) who died after having worked long enough in a job where he or she paid Social Security taxes.

The child also must be:

• Unmarried;
• Younger than age 18;
• 18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12); or
• 18 or older and disabled (if the disability started before age 22).

How long do benefits continue?

Benefits stop when your child reaches age 18 (unless your child is a student or disabled).

If your child is a student: Three months before your child’s 18^th birthday, Social Security will send you a notice that benefits will end at age 18 unless your child is a full-time student at a secondary (or elementary) school. If your child is younger than 19 and still attending a secondary or elementary school, he or she must notify Social Security by completing a statement of attendance that has been certified by a school official. The benefits then will usually continue until he or she graduates, or until two months after reaching age 19, whichever comes first.

If your child is disabled: Benefits will continue at age 18 to a child who is disabled. Childhood disability benefits are also payable after attainment of age 18, if the disability began before the age of 22.

How much can a family get?

Within a family, a child may receive up to one-half of the parent’s full retirement or disability benefit, or 75 percent of the deceased parent’s basic Social Security benefit. However, there is a limit to the amount of money that can be paid to a single family. The family maximum payment is determined as part of every Social Security benefit computation and can be from 150 to 180 percent of the parent’s full benefit amount. If the total amount payable to all family members exceeds this limit, each person’s benefit is reduced proportionately (except the parent’s) until the total equals the maximum allowable amount.

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

Read more here: https://www.ssa.gov/planners/disability/dfamily4.html

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

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This October, we are proud to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States. According to leading statistics, approximately 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.

A diagnosis of breast cancer will almost always require surgery and/or radiation. Most breast cancer patients will also require chemotherapy. Without insurance, the costs of these treatments can be astronomical. Of the 12 drugs approved for cancer treatment by the FDA in 2012, 11 of them cost $100,000 or more for just one year of treatment. The 12th drug costs $70,000 per year.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, there could be help available for you. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers financial resources for men and women with breast cancer who are no longer to work due to their condition.

Whenever the SSA receives an application for benefits, it evaluates the condition based on its guide known as the “Blue Book”. The Blue Book lists hundreds of disabilities that could potentially qualify for benefits, along with the medical test results or symptoms that are necessary to be approved.

Breast cancer is listed along with other cancers in Section 13.00—Malignant Neoplastic Diseases. The SSA’s listing for breast cancer is very technical. You will need to speak with your doctor to see if your specific cancer has spread to the extent to qualify for disability benefits via the Blue Book. Typically, breast cancer must be stage three or above to qualify for disability benefits medically.

However, even if you do not meet the SSA’s strict Blue Book parameters, you may still qualify for benefits. To qualify for benefits without meeting a medical listing in the Blue Book, you will need to have doctors’ notes and hospital records that show that you are expected to be out of work for at least 12 months.

If you, or a family member or friend, are struggling with breast cancer, please contact us for a free case evaluation!

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