Wellness

[NYwoman]

1) Talk to an attorney who specializes in SSD/I. There are a few things stated here I sincerely question.

2) The benefit amount of SSD will reflect the LTD you are on.

3) Medicaid is a state program and SSD/I are federal programs. You must apply to the SSA directly for SSD/I.

4) SSA will not consider any medical papers you give them for the initial determination. They base that first decision on medical forms they get from from every medical contact you supplied to them in your application and an IME, if they require it.

5) I find that you can supply more information (for lack of space) on paper than online. You need to state ALL symptoms and impairments and EVERY medical contact in the application. Whatever is submitted is IT.

6) The medical guideline of conditions that SSA uses is called "the Blue Book". It is online and divided into adult and children and mental and physical health conditions. It is quite cumbersome for those who are not used to it.

I have experienced getting SSD in 6 weeks. I have assisted others get it in 3 months. However, some states have large backlogs due to the return of veterans, who are applying.

[ccassaday]

I just found out my ltd is 1500.00 a month. Am I right that I will not be able to get Medicaid now. Am I going to have to go through the ACA to get insurance. I live in indiana and I believe we opted out of Medicaid expansion.

[terrier3]

On 9/29/2014 ccassaday said: I just found out my ltd is 1500.00 a month. Am I right that I will not be able to get Medicaid now. Am I going to have to go through the ACA to get insurance. I live in indiana and I believe we opted out of Medicaid expansion.

If the ONLY income you will have is $1500 a month, you will be able to get a tax subsidy on ACA exchange insurance and ALSO assistance provided to help you with deductibles and co-pays. You will have to choose a SILVER plan to get that extra CSR assistance.

At $1500.mo. income, you will be below the 154% poverty guideline of $1556 for a household of one. At that level, you wouldn't be able to get Medicaid in ANY state. But the tax subsidy and assistance with deductibles and co-pays will make your ACA plan very affordable. You can sign up starting on Nov. 15th - but call now - your disabilty may be a special exemption that would allow you to get coverage sooner. You will have to deal with someone on the exchange for specific help.

[ccassaday]

Gosh this is going to be a nightmare. I have insurance now and I am not sure how long I have with it. My former employer is paying the c o b r a. So I guess I am going to have to make a decision and be ready to sign up by Nov. 15th.

[ccassaday]

One other thing. Is there dental policies trough the ACA.

[terrier3]

On 9/29/2014 ccassaday said: Gosh this is going to be a nightmare. I have insurance now and I am not sure how long I have with it. My former employer is paying the c o b r a. So I guess I am going to have to make a decision and be ready to sign up by Nov. 15th.

In order to get medical coverage starting on Jan. 1, you need to apply by Dec. 15th.

The SIGN UP period with pricing, plans, etc. for 2015 starts on Nov. 15th. Do you want to keep your doctor? Call them FIRST and see what exchange plan they will accept. In my state, many, if not most, doctors accept the private insurance company plans that are in the exchange. Because of your income level, you will do MUCH better than someone on Medicaid - not that many doctors accept Medicaid patients.

With tax subsidy and deductible and co-pay assistance, you should be able to get good coverage with minimal out of pocket. I know a woman who pays $25 a month for BC/BS exchange insurance - her deductible was $50 and her co-pays are $1 and $5 (depending on the medication and if she is seeing a specialist or primary care MD).

The ONLY plans that provide both APTC and CSR are SILVER plans. They are also the plan that can provide out-of-network coverage too (for slightly more $).

After you find out what exchange plan you doctor takes, call that insurance company and they can walk you through the enrollment or even come to your home or meet you at a coffee shop or library and help you there.

It's not difficult with a little assistance that is out there for free.

[terrier3]

On 9/29/2014 ccassaday said: One other thing. Is there dental policies trough the ACA.

That is correct - they are stand alone policies for adults - about $15-$20 more a month or so for coverage.

Children with ACA coverage get dental automatically.

[chickadee]

Assuming she lives in a state that didn't opt out...

To the OP, applying for SSI/SSDI can be very overwhelming. But don't let that deter you from getting started. The longer you wait to start, the longer it will be before the ball can get rolling. As another poster stated, if you start the process online, you don't have to finish it all at once. You can save your progress and do it at different times. That's what I had to do. Even when you start it online, they will send you more stuff to fill out anyway.

The biggest bit of advice I have for you is to provide as much documentation as you can. don't just tell them you can't work. Tell them ALL areas of your life that have been impacted by your disability. When you say you can't do ___ anymore, be specific as to how and why your illness/disability affects your ability to do each and every thing. It might sound silly. and You might feel like you are repeating yourself on so many questions, but just do it.

I was approved on the first application, and I didn't have a lawyer. But I had a mountain of documentation. Not just from several medical providers, but also documentation from supervisors. Even performance evaluations where some things directly related to my disability were mentioned. LOL. I put it all in my application.

You are lucky that you have LTD to hold you over until you get SSDI That $1500 LTD may be cut back once you start receiving money from social security, so don't bank on getting the full amount of LTD plus SSDI when/if you are approved for social security.

I hope I didn't just confuse you more. If you had a benefits coordinator where you used to work, you might want to talk to them about your LTD plan.

[ccassaday]

We already applied for medicaid and ssdi. Just got a big check from ltd but some will have to be paid back once disability is approved. Do I need to let Medicaid no now I have this ltd. The haven't approved me yet but,when I applied I wasn't getting ltd yet.

[Nuttmeg]

On 9/29/2014 ccassaday said: We already applied for medicaid and ssdi. Just got a big check from ltd but some will have to be paid back once disability is approved. Do I need to let Medicaid no now I have this ltd. The haven't approved me yet but,when I applied I wasn't getting ltd yet.

This is a link to Medicaid http://www.medicaid.gov/. You will find a drop down menu for your state. You should contact your state agency ASAP.