Social Security Disability Benefits And Medicare

   If you are approved for a Social Security disability benefit you will eventually get on Medicare -- if the disability benefit is based upon someone's earnings record. To explain, the biggest type of Social Security benefit is the one based upon your own earnings but there are also Disabled Widows and Widowers and Disabled Adult Child benefits on the account of a parent for those who become disabled before age 22. In all of these types of benefits, you'll be entitled to Medicare after you've been eligible for cash benefits for 24 months. Why 24 months? It saves money. That's it. No good reason. It just saves money. Actually, there are a couple of exceptions to the 24 month rule -- those on dialysis because their kidneys have failed are eligible for some Medicare benefits immediately and those disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are eligible for all Medicare benefits immediately.

    If you're approved for a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit you're eligible for Medicaid immediately. SSI is a poverty program. You have to be quite poor to receive the benefit and it doesn't pay much and you still have to be just as disabled but it doesn't matter whether you've worked in the past.

    I've talked about Medicare and Medicaid. Aren't they the same thing? No. Besides the 24 month waiting period for Medicare, you'll probably have to pay a premium deducted from your check for the outpatient part of your Medicare benefit. Also, basic Medicare doesn't cover prescription medications -- but you can, at extra expense, add that benefit. Medicaid doesn't have a waiting period, there's no premium for it and it covers prescription medications. Sounds like Medicaid is the better deal, doesn't it? Not necessarily. Medicare pays doctors at a much higher rate than Medicaid. Many doctors refuse to accept Medicaid so you won't have as much choice in the doctors you see. Those who do accept Medicaid aren't supposed to discriminate against you because you have Medicaid rather than Medicare. Not supposed to.

If you're in NC and want help with your Social Security disability claim, call Hall & Rouse, P.C. at 1-866-425-5347