Can I Get Disability Coverage As An Expat
If you have disability insurance before you leave the U.S., you may not be able to use it when you become disabled in an international location if youâve been away for too long.
During the application process, youâll be asked how much you travel each year. While carriers use different underwriting guidelines, in general, you can usually only receive a standard disability insurance policy if you travel less than three months per year.
If you plan to be away from the U.S. for more than three months of the year, your disability insurance policy may have a foreign travel exclusionrider, which excludes from coverage the countries you plan to be in. Also called a foreign travel amendment, its terms will prohibit benefit payments for any disability you incur while traveling in an excluded country.
How Much Can You Earn While Collecting Social Security
You can earn as much as you want while collecting Social Security, but you will owe more taxes if your income crosses a certain threshold. Your income and the age at which you started collecting Social Security will affect your specific rate. In 2021, the annual income threshold to avoid additional taxes is $18,960.
How Will My Social Security Payments Be Taxed
If you have US Citizenship or US Residency, taxes on up to 85% of your benefits may be taxed on a federal level. The amount thats taxed will depend on the total amount of your Social Security payments. The SSA may also take into consideration your other income . Generally speaking, the more you make the more you will be taxed.
If you are an individual earning an income of $25K or more, 50% of your Social Security benefits will be subject to federal income tax. A total taxation rate of 85% may be imposed if you are in either of the following situations:
The total of half of your Social Security benefits and your other earned income is more than $34K
You are a married couple filing a separate return and you lived with your spouse at any point during the year.
Keep in mind that there are many foreign countries in which US Social Security benefits are taxed, so it is suggested that you review your host countrys tax laws to keep from being surprised with more taxes than you had anticipated.
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How To Get The Most From Your Social Security
Most people know very little about their Social Security benefitsand it means they miss out on money theyre owed by not claiming their maximum benefit.
In fact, Motley Fool estimates that if every U.S. citizen knew how to claim their maximum benefit, the government would have to pay an extra $10 billion in benefits every year. Thats a lot of money being left on the table because the Social Security system is so complex and hard to navigate.
So what do you do to make sure youre getting everything due to you in retirement from a lifetime of hard work? You learn from an expert.
Despite what you may think, thats not the folks sitting behind desks in the Social Security offices. Theyre good, hard-working people but theyre not expertsmerely employees. They dont know every trick to use and trap to avoid. With a system this complicated, how could they?
You need somebody whos spent over 10 years digging deep into the web of rules and regulations that makes up Social Security. Someone who has made it his mission to demystify this essential system and explain it in simple terms that you can easily understand and make use of.
That man is Steve Garfink and in the video below he explains how to get the best from your Social Security.
Visiting Other States On Ssi
SSI is, of course, a completely different set of issues.
While SSI is a national program, the benefits are managed by your state of residence, and in many cases are managed on the county level.
Many states pay more than the federally generated amount to make up for cost of living disparities or follow state laws about disability needs.
When you visit other states your checks will continue, but your Medicaid coverage may not get you any service wherever you are visiting.
Wherever you want to go, just think your plans through!
Neighboring states will sometimes have reciprocal agreements to treat patients, primarily in larger and research hospitals, but thats about the limit of cross-state honoring of Medicaid.
I experienced this personally when I went through a brief period of only having Medicaid coverage even though I live in New Jersey, my neurologist worked at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, and he was able to admit me there due to the reciprocal agreement between the hospital and NJ Medicaid.
There are also some Medicaid programs that might be primarily managed on the county level, which can make a doctor or hospital visit in another county more challenging.
While treatment options are often limited while on Medicaid, you need to be aware that you may have effectively no coverage while in another state.
Moving to another state while on SSI is likely to disrupt your benefits, and you will only be eligible for that states Medicare coverage.
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Exotic And Affordable Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is another region that offers great value for money and a place where your retirement dollars will stretch further than they will in the U.S. Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia are just some of the countries that have been enticing expats and retirees from around the globe, offering a low cost of living, picture-perfect white-sand beaches, friendly locals and fascinating culture.
Aileen and Bob Young have been in their Southeast Asia beachside retirement haven since 2013. Bob says, We found a place that both of us like and that fits with our budget. They live happily in a condo near the beach on Bobs Social Security income of $1,992 a month.
In mid-2012, Bob was laid off from his job in Minnesota. He was nearly 66 years old and could not find another job at his age. That year, Aileen asked Bob to take a trip to Southeast Asia. They flew to Thailand and Cambodia in December to get away from miserable winter, freezing rain, and snow. Both came back from their trip at the end of January 2013 and decided to move to Hua-Hin, Thailand that October.
Hua-Hin is about two-and-a-half hours car journey from Bangkok. Aileen says, The weather is just perfect: warm and never gets cold.
Bobs Social Security check is more than enough for the couple to live well and enjoy life. Life is too short so if you are not taking steps today to enjoy where you want to be somedayyou wont get there, says Bob.
Understanding Social Security Payments
Social Security, officially known as the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program, provides monthly monetary benefits to qualified workers and their dependents . It’s considered an entitlement program, wherein employees, employers, and the self-employed finance these benefits with their Social Security taxes, which are then put into two Social Security trust funds. Eligibility and benefit amounts are based on an individual’s contributions to Social Security and work history ).
The SSA offers three types of Social Security benefits:
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What Happens To My Social Security Benefits If I Am Not A Us Citizen
If you are a citizen of any of the 24 countries in which there is an active Totalization Agreement with the United States, you will continue to receive your Social Security benefits as long as you remain eligible. You may also receive payments if you are a citizen of one of the eligible countries posted on SSA. In order to receive payments as a citizen of the countries noted in the provided link, you need to be outside of the US and you must not be receiving Social Security distributions as a dependent or survivor. If you are not a citizen of one of the countries listed above or you are not a US Citizen, the Social Security Administration will stop sending your payments after you have lived outside of the United States for six calendar months. This is true unless you fall under one of the following exceptions:
- You became eligible for monthly Social Security payments before December 1956
- You are an active member of the US Military or Naval Service
- The employee on the record of the benefits you receive was part of a railroad working program which was treated as covered employment by the SSA
- The employee on the record of the benefits you receive became deceased while serving in the US Military or died as a direct result of a disability that was connected to his/her service and did not have a dishonorable discharge.
Buying Private Health Insurance
You might consider buying private travel health insurance to make sure you have enough health insurance coverage while you’re outside of Canada.
If you’re still working you may already have an employer-sponsored private health care plan. Check with your employer to see if you’re covered for medical care outside of Canada.
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Exceptions To The Rule
Although the general rules preclude you from receiving SSI benefits when living outside the United States, there are exceptions. Children of U.S. military personnel who are stationed abroad may still be able to receive benefits. In addition, if you are a student studying abroad and are otherwise qualified for SSI benefits, you may be able to continue receiving them while abroad.
Public Pension Benefits When Living Outside Canada
Old Age Security is a monthly payment available to Canadians over the age of 65. The Canada Pension Plan is a monthly payment made to people who contributed to the CPP during their working years.
Spending time outside Canada may change the way you receive your OAS and CPP payments.
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If You Are A Us Citizen You Can Get Your Social Security Benefits Almost Anywhere In The World
6:00 AM on May 16, 2021 CDT
Maybe its because COVID-19 restrictions are easing up a bit. And some people probably have a bad case of wanderlust. Im sure others are just thinking about retiring and returning to their homeland. Or perhaps still others see some of the same websites I do that entice you with headlines similar to this one I recently read: Live like royalty on your Social Security check in Belize!
Anyway, Ive received more than a few emails lately from folks who want to know what happens with their Social Security benefits once they pack their bags and head to some foreign land to live.
Anyone planning to do that needs to read a booklet that the Social Security Administration produces called Social Security Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States. You can find it online at the SSAs website, www.socialsecurity.gov. Just click the Publications link near the bottom of the homepage. Once there, pull down the Topics menu and youll find the booklet under the General Information section.
There are some exceptions to those Social Security restrictions, if any of those remote places are beckoning you in retirement.
If you are not a U.S. citizen but you have lived in this country legally and worked and earned Social Security benefits, then the rules get a little more complicated. I will briefly explain some of them.
Other than that, bon voyage! Send me a postcard from one of those pretty golden beaches in Belize.
Tom Margenau
Can I Keep My Benefits If I Move Out Of The Us
Whether or not you are able to keep your disability benefits if you move outside of the United States depends on several factors, including:
- What type of benefits you receive
- Where you move to
- How long you reside outside of the country
You will need to understand how your benefits will be affected before you make your move as well as what is expected of you by the Social Security Administration .
The way your benefits are affected depends on several things, including the type of benefits you receive.
In most cases, if you receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits under your own work record, then you are able to receive your benefits per usual for at least six months after moving outside the U.S., unless you move to a prohibited country.
Under most circumstances, if you receive Supplemental Security Income benefits and leave the U.S., your benefits will stop after 30-days and cannot be reinstated until you return to the U.S.
There are a number of other factors that can impact your benefits. To know exactly what affect your move may have on your disability payments, you should contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and discuss the situation with them before making a final decision on your move. However, the following information may also help you decide how to proceed:
Also keep in mind that living outside the U.S. may change other things, like:
- how you receive your payments
- how you communicate with the SSA
- where you provide updates or send forms
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It Depends On How Long Youre Away
The Social Security Administration considers 30 days to be the dividing line between a visit and a move. If a disability recipient stays outside the United States for longer than 30 consecutive days, the SSA considers the recipient to have moved to the new country.
Keep in mind that any stay outside the United States lasting longer than 30 days requires disability recipients to report a status change to the SSA, including information on the recipients change of address.
Receiving Social Security Benefits Abroad
Did you know that you can still collect Social Security benefits if you are living abroad?
Did you know that you can still collect Social Security benefits if you are living abroad? Its true, outside of a few specific countries: Cuba, Ukraine, North Korea, or Vietnam or if the country has differing Social Security policies in place . To check if the country would pay you your Social Security visit:
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Quick Facts About Supplemental Security Income
- Monthly financial assistance for Americans who are 65 or older, blind or disabled with low income, no work history and limited resources.
- To qualify, you provide specific documentation of a medical condition meeting Social Security’s definition of disability as well as proof of limited financial resources.
- With planning and communication, individuals who receive SSI benefits may be able to maintain these benefits during their participation in an international academic exchange.
Social Security Disability Insurance And Social Security Retirement
The disability freeze and the amount of the social security disability benefit reflect the main purpose of social security disability insurance: to protect the social security retirement full benefit not to supplement it.
When a worker is receiving social security disability benefits and reaches full retirement age their monthly benefit automatically converts to social security retirement. Their social security disability insurance ceases.
It is, however, possible to receive both social security disability insurance benefits and social security retirement IF the social security disability benefit is the early retirement benefit available at age 62. In this case, the social security disability benefit is reduced by the amount of the early retirement benefit.
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Earn Ssa Work Credits In Some Countries
You may not have enough credits from your work in the United States to qualify for retirement benefits. But, you may be able to count your work credits from another country. The SSA has agreements with 24 countries. If you earned credits in one of those countries, they can help you qualify for U.S. benefits.
Leaving The Country On Ssdi
Yes, you can live in another country and receive SSDI benefits!
There are some countries that the US does not deposit money into, but for the most part, it may be possible to run away to another country where the cost of living is lower and stay there, as long as nothing else stops you.
Personally, I have fantasized a little about traveling around the world, but its never been more than a fantasy.
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Can I Contribute To Social Security From Overseas
With so many other things to consider when moving abroad, thinking about Social Security might not have crossed your mind. Or, maybe youve wondered: can I contribute to Social Security from overseas? However, its certainly a topic you should be aware of, as you will need to pay Social Security taxes while abroad. This article will break down the top facts you should know about tax treaties, how to pay Social Security and the effects on your working overseas tax.
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Disability Offsets
Q: What are offsets?
A. Offsets are provisions in your disability coverage that allow your insurer to deduct from your regular benefit other types of income you receive or are eligible to receive from other sources due to your disability. Common types of offsets include, but are not limited to, Social Security disability benefits, workers compensation benefits, and benefits from state disability programs like those offered in California, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Hawaii. Other common offsets include employer-provided disability retirement benefits, and in some cases, income received from a third party who may have caused the injury that resulted in your disability.
Q. Where can I find offset wording in my disability policy?
A. Usually the section of the policy that explains your benefit amount will have language indicating that the insurer is allowed to deduct other benefits or other income benefits. The policy will then have a separate section shortly thereafter explaining what types of benefits constitute other benefits, and how the insurer will offset them from your regular benefit.
Q. I got my disability policy through my employer but I dont have my master policyjust an explanation of benefits. Is that enough to tell me what offsets are in my policy?
Q. Does ERISA say what kinds of offsets insurers can take and which they cant?
Q. Why are insurance companies allowed to offset my disability benefits?
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