Does Disability Income Count For Medicaid

Does Medicare Or Medicaid Come With Ssdi

You become eligible for Medicare benefits two years after the date you first met the qualifications for SSDI. The Social Security Administration keeps track of your date of entitlementwhich may be up to a year before you applied for disability benefitsand automatically enrolls you in Medicare after 24 months.

This coverage includes Medicare hospital insurance and medical insurance, Part A and Part B. Hospital insurance, sometimes called Part A, is free and covers inpatient costs and other expenses related to hospitalization. Medical insurance, or Part B, requires a monthly premium. It covers visits to your primary care physician, outpatient treatment, and other care. You can also purchase additional supplemental policies or to pay for prescription drugs.

There are some instances where you may receive your first SSDI benefits well into the two-year waiting period, especially if the SSA denied your application initially. Occasionally, this time my actually expire while you wait for approval. If this occurs, your Medical coverage begins at the same time as your SSDI benefits.

Some people who draw SSDI may not earn enough to cover the Medicare premiums. If you cannot afford these premiums, you may be eligible for Medicaid or other state-run programs to help you pay for your healthcare coverage. You can learn more by calling your state Medicaid office or giving us a call. We can look into your situation and help you identify the programs you may qualify for.

What Type Of Income Does Medicaid Count

Medicaid uses your modified adjusted gross income as the measure of your income for eligibility standards. Modified adjusted gross income that Medicaid will generally count towards your income limit includes:

• Social Security retirement benefits

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families payments
• Aid to Families with Dependent Children payments

Does Medicare Or Medicaid Come With Disability Benefits

by Jason BarilJun 14, 2017

Does Medicare Or Medicaid Come With Disability Benefits?

Medicare and Medicaid may come with your disability benefits, depending on your case. If you qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, you will automatically receive Medicare benefits after a two-year waiting period. Those who also qualify for Supplemental Security Income may be eligible for Medicaid benefits without a waiting period.

At the Disability Advantage Group, we can help you understand all the benefits available to you. Call us at to schedule a time to talk about your situation and learn about the benefits and resources you need.

Read Also: Non Medical Requirements For Disability

Social Security Works Aggressively To Prevent Detect And Prosecute Fraud

Social Security, along with the Office of the Inspector General, identifies and aggressively prosecutes those who commit fraud. Our zero tolerance approach has resulted in a fraud incidence rate that is a fraction of one percent.

One of our most effective measures to guard against fraud is the Cooperative Disability Investigations program. Under the program, we investigate suspicious disability claims early, before making a decision to award benefits. In effect, we proactively stop fraud before it happens. In fiscal year 2018, with the help of state and local law enforcement, the program reported nearly $188.5 million in projected savings to the disability programs. This resulted in a return on investment of $17 for each $1 spent.

Eradicating fraud is a team effort. We need people who suspect something to say something. If you suspect fraud, please visit the Office of the Inspector General and select Report Fraud, Waste, or Abuse or call 1-800-269-0271.

Also Check: Parking Tickets Insurance

Medicaid: What Do I Count As Income

Marketplaces, Medicaid, and CHIP all use MAGI to determine a households income for eligibility. MAGI stands for Modified Adjusted Gross Income. The best way to figure it out is to work through the numbers backward.

Start with your gross income, which is your total taxable income. If you have multiple income streams, you add them all together to get your total income. Taxable income may include wages, salaries, bonuses, alimony, self-employment income, pensions, punitive damages, IRA distributions, jury duty fees, unemployment compensation, rents, royalties, severance pay, gambling winnings, interest, tips, and estate or trust income.

You may also be receiving income that is not considered taxable. You do not have to include this income when applying for Medicaid. Types of non-taxable include may include child support, gifts, veterans benefits, insurance proceeds, beneficiary payments, AFDC payments, injury payments, relocation pay, TANF payments, workers compensation, federal income tax refunds, and SSI payments.

Once you know your gross income, you can subtract IRS-approved deductions to get your adjusted gross income . For those that are self-employed, these deductions include any business related expenses. They also include alimony payments, IRA contributions, tuition and fees, student loan interest, and work-related moving expenses.

Don’t Miss: How To Calculate Disability Retirement Pay

How Can I Reach A Disability Lawyer Who Can Help Me Understand These Benefits

At the Disability Advantage Group, we have helped people from all walks of life and in a variety of financial situations. We can educate you about the disability and healthcare benefits you qualify for, help you prepare your application, and fight aggressively to ensure you get the resources you need. Call us today at to schedule a time to discuss your situation with a disability lawyer and let us go to work for you.

What Qualifies As A Disability

Disability beneficiaries include a varied group of people. Those under the age of 65 may qualify if theyve had a disabling condition since birth. It also includes people with an injury or illness causing decreased functional ability.

The term disability refers to physical, developmental, mental, or behavioral problems. Is it difficult for you to perform normal activities of daily living without help? If so, you may qualify for disability and Medicaid assistance.

Also Check: Calculate Retirement Pay With Crdp

Does Social Security Count As Income For Medicaid Eligibility

Most Social Security disability and retirement income does count as income for purposes of Medicaid eligibility. The income figure used to decide whether you are eligible for Medicaid is known as modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI. Certain types of Social Security benefits, however, are not included in MAGI and are not figured into your income when deciding whether you are eligible for Medicaid coverage.

Health Resources For People With Disabilities

Federal, state, and local government agencies and programs can help with your health needs if you have a disability.

• Explore the Disability and Health section of CDC.gov for articles, programs, tips for healthy living and more.

• Learn more about assistance and benefits for people with disabilities from the Social Security Administration.

• Contact your local city or county government to find out what medical and health services are available locally for people with disabilities.

• Your state social service agency can help you locate medical and health programs.

Visit USA.govs Government Benefits page to learn more about government programs and services that can help you and your family.

Read Also: Military Retired Pay 2015

Do You Qualify For Ssi Or 1619

If you have a disability, low income, and low resources, you may qualify for SSI. If you already get SSI benefits, you automatically get Medicaid coverage and do not need to apply separately.

If you dont get SSI benefits yet, you should learn whether you might qualify by reading DB101s SSI article. At the same time, you should apply for Medicaid separately, because it can take Social Security several months to review your SSI application and its important for you to have health coverage until then.

If you used to get SSI benefits, but stopped getting them after you started working, you may qualify automatically for Medicaid through a special rule called 1619 as long as your gross income is below $36,985 per year. Learn more about 1619 in DB101s SSI article.

If you do not get SSI benefits and do not qualify for 1619, income-based Medicaid might cover you.

How Do I Apply For Ssi

SSI is not a state program. There are three ways you can apply for SSI through the Social Security Administration with the federal government:

• In person: To find the closest Social Security office, call or go online.
• Online:

The easiest way to get direct information on applying for SSI is to go in person to an SSA office. Sometimes call wait times can be long and we recommend you go in person if possible.

Recommended Reading: Applying For Disability Wa

Taxes On Disability Payments

Disability payments, like other forms of insurance benefits, are only taxable if your employer pays for the policy. You will likely pay tax on these benefits until you retire. At that point, tax law treats it as a retirement annuity instead of health benefits.

If your disability or other health problems require long-term care, money you get from a long-term care insurance policy is usually tax-free. If thereâs a cash surrender value on the policy, your benefits are taxable.

References

A person has a permanent and total disability if both of the following apply:

• They cant engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a physical or mental condition and
• A doctor determines their condition:
• Has lasted continuously for at least a year or
• Will last continuously for at least a year or
• Can lead to death

Why Is The State Notifying People They May Lose Medicaid Eligibility

The budget does not have enough funding for the critical needs of the state. In order to wind down programs that may be eliminated, a lengthy regulatory process must take place. As this process is underway, it is important to keep people as informed as possible. As of today, people will continue to receive their benefits.

Recommended Reading: Guard Retirement Points Calculator

Va Aid And Attendance From Dic Benefits

VA “aid and attendance” is a difficult subject because the names for VA benefits programs are not always helpful. We mostly look at Pension benefits for helping our veterans, but the VA program also provides benefits known as “aid and attendance” for those veterans that were injured in service and for his or her surviving spouse. The program for a surviving spouse, known as DIC provides $1,357.56 to the surviving spouse of a 100% VA disabled person. The surviving spouse can also get an addtional $336.32/month when they need help with their activities of daily living . This payment of $336.32/month is not countable income for Medicaid purposes

If you want to learn more about Medicaid benefits in Florida, please look here.

Which Income Sources Does Medicaid Count When Determining Eligibility For Florida Long Term Care Benefits

In addition to the Florida Medicaid Asset Test, a long-term care applicant must also pass the Medicaid Income Test. Florida is an “income cap” state, which means that if total income, from all sources, exceeds the income cap , a qualified income trust will be needed. Itâs important to note that your income is higher than the amount of money that is deposited into your bank account. Even if your only source of income is social security retirement income, the amount deposited into your bank account does not include the $148.50 that is likely being automatically deducted to pay for Medicare Part B premiums .

You may also pay an additional amount for your Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Supplement.

You may pay even more for life insurance premiums, alimony and/or maybe even child support.

Just because some of these items may be deducted from your IRS income tax calculations, does NOT mean that DCF wont include them when they are assessing Florida Medicaid Long-Term Care benefits eligibility calculations.

The DCF / Medicaid case worker wants to see proof of gross income from all sources of income to determine whether a Florida Medicaid applicant is eligible for Florida Medicaid Waiver or Medicaid ICP benefits .

The DCF / Medicaid caseworker adds up all gross income, from all sources to determine if the Medicaid long term care applicant passes the Medicaid income test .

Also Check: Military Retired Pay Tables

Do You Have A Disability And Need Medical Coverage

Many Americans today are struggling to make financial ends meet. The hardships have increased due to the pandemic. This article answered the question, Do you automatically qualify for Medicaid with a disability?

Federal, state, and local governments offer help to those with low income/resources. Individuals can get benefits from the SSA, Medicaid, and Medicare. Many businesses now offer programs to help those in need as well.

Did you know?

What Is Included In Magi

Medicaid determines your eligibility based on your reported household MAGI. This is a relatively complex process that excludes some types of income while including others. In general, MAGI includes the following types of income:

• The adjusted gross income you report on your federal tax return, which may include tips, earned wages and self-employment income
• Certain types of tax-exempt interest
• Excluded foreign income
• Income from rentals and royalties
• Capital gains and investment income
• Non-taxable Social Security benefits, including disability payments
• Taxable Social Security benefits
• Retirement and pension payments

Other types of income may be included in MAGI in certain instances. For instance, unemployment compensation is usually included in this figure. The exception would be the additional $300 per week in federal payments that began in 2019 and is still in effect. Alimony that is paid on divorces and separations that were finalized before January 1, 2019, should be included in MAGI. Divorces and separations finalized on or after that date, however, are not included as part of MAGI.

Also Check: How Much Is The Average Disability Check

Is Medicaid Right For You

Medicaid is government-funded health coverage for people in certain situations. You may qualify if you:

• Get Supplemental Security Income benefits or qualify for SSIs 1619 rule, which helps people who used to get SSI. In either case, you automatically get Medicaid coverage and dont need to worry about the rules discussed here. Learn more in DB101s SSI article.
• Have low income, no matter how much you have in resources or whether you have a disability. Income-based Medicaid is explained on this page.
• Have a disability and work, even if your income is higher. Learn more about Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities .

Answer the questions on this page to see if you might qualify for income-based Medicaid. If so, its probably your best health coverage option because it doesnt usually have a premium, the copayments for services are generally lower than copayments required by private plans, and Medicaid covers more services than most private plans. Also, if you qualify for Medicaid, you cannot get government help paying for an individual plan on Healthcare.gov.

Note: The rules for SSI and Medicaid are different if you are less than 18 years old. Learn about them in DB101s Benefits for Young People article.

Special Home And Community

The Special Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Group eligibility pathway allows states to extend Medicaid eligibility to individuals receiving HCBS under a waiver program87 who require the level of care provided by a nursing facility or other medical institution.88 This eligibility pathway is sometimes referred to as the “217 Group” in reference to the specific regulatory section for this group, 42 C.F.R. Section 435.217. States use the highest income and resource standard of a separate eligibility group covered by the state plan under which an individual would otherwise qualify if institutionalized. For example, states that offer the Special Income Level pathway described above can extend eligibility to waiver program participants with income up to 300% of the SSI FBR. States must use the income- and resource-counting methodologies used to determine eligibility for this same eligibility group. States may also apply Section 1902’s more liberal income-counting rules to this group.

Read Also: How To Calculate Disability Retirement Pay

Does My Current Health Insurance Affect Ssdi Or Ssi

Social Security benefits over 60 million Americans today, a large portion of those receiving Social Security disability insurance . Those enrolled in SSDI receive monthly benefits to ensure that they are financially stable despite their disability. However, as beneficial as SSDI is, the logistics of its benefits can sometimes be confusing.

A common concern among SSDI applicants is whether or not theyâll be able to keep their current insurance, and whether or not their current insurance will affect their disability application.

Most People Who Are Approved For Disability Benefits Through The Social Security Administration Get Medicare Or Medicaid Eventually

By Bethany K. Laurence, Attorney

Generally, if you are approved for Social Security disabilityinsurance benefits, you will receive Medicare, and if you are approvedfor Supplemental Security Income , you will receive Medicaid. However, thisisn’t true in all states. Medicaid is operated by the states,and the states are allowed to set eligibility criteria that are different thanSSI’s criteria. As a result, whether getting approved for SSI gets you Medicaiddepends on your state, as we’ll discuss below.

You May Like: How Do I Change My Direct Deposit For Va Benefits

How Does Medicaid Count Income For Married Couples

For individual applicants, the income count is very straightforward. All of the individuals countable income is added up, and if the total is below the Medicaid limit, the person is eligible.

The way Medicaid counts income for married couples is not as straightforward. Depending on the state in which you live and the specific type of Medicaid or Medicaid program you are applying for, your income may be counted on an individual basis, or Medicaid may count the combined income of both you and your partner.

Overview Of Medicaid Eligibility

Eligibility for Medicaid is determined by both federal and state law, whereby states set individual eligibility criteria within federal minimum standards. This arrangement results in substantial variability in Medicaid eligibility across states. Therefore, the ways that individuals can qualify for Medicaid reflect state policy decisions within broad federal requirements.

In general, individuals qualify for Medicaid coverage by meeting the requirements of a specific eligibility pathway offered by the state.12 Some eligibility groups are mandatory, meaning all states with a Medicaid program must cover them. Other eligibility groups are optional, meaning states may elect to cover them. Within this framework, states may have some discretion to determine certain eligibility criteria for both mandatory and optional eligibility groups. In addition, states may apply to CMS for a waiver of federal law to expand health coverage beyond the mandatory and optional eligibility groups specified in federal statute.

Also Check: How Much Is Disability In Ca