Returning To Work? How Benefits May Be Affected

[chasb]

Some good info on how SSDI , Medicare & Medicaid are affected when going back to work part/ full time. (for those inside U.S.)

http://www.ssa.gov/work/

Medicare requirements http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/medicare.htm#works

Medicaid requirements
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/medicaid.htm#works


Trial Work Period

SSDI -- The trial work period allows you to test your ability to work for at least 9 months. During your trial work period, you will receive your full disability benefit regardless of how much you earn as long as your work activity has been reported and you continue to have a disabling impairment. The 9 months does not need to be consecutive and your trial work period will last until you accumulate 9 months within a rolling 60-month period. Certain other rules apply.


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Extended Period of Eligibility

SSDI -- If your disability benefits stop after successfully completing the trial work period because you worked at the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level, we can automatically reinstate your benefits without a new application for any months in which your earnings drop below the SGA level. This reinstatement period lasts for 36 consecutive months following the end of the trial work period. You must continue to have a disabling impairment in addition to having earnings below the SGA level for that month.


The Redbook.... Answers to all of your important questions

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook/eng/main.htm

[611]

Ticket to Work is the opportunity to earn a good salary if you are severely disabled. Don't spend the rest of your life earning less than you should just to stay on Medicare. A good paying job allows you to buy items that improves your quality of life. Most god jobs provide health insurance benefits.

[EGS]

Ticket to Work is the opportunity to earn a good salary if you are severely disabled. Don't spend the rest of your life earning less than you should just to stay on Medicare. A good paying job allows you to buy items that improves your quality of life. Most god jobs provide health insurance benefits.
I agree. I was just going to say that a job without some medical benefits isn't worth it I don't think.

[Lizbv]

I agree. I was just going to say that a job without some medical benefits isn't worth it I don't think.

If your state has Medicaid buy in and your job may not offer benefits, I think this is the way to go!!!

[611]

If your state has Medicaid buy in and your job may not offer benefits, I think this is the way to go!!!
It provides a severely impaired individual a chance to enter the middle class. It empowers us and provides us with an opportunity to have a higher standard of living than any other time in our history.

[darkeyed_daisy]

If you find your own job, you can assign your ticket to work to a network and recieve $270.00 a month for five years for it...

I am keeping my Humana Gold choice instead of opting for my employee group plan...Since I work at a hospital I will get 1/2 off any tests or anything I have done anyway. I dont want to mess up my Medicare again...I had a hard time getting it straightened out when I worked before...

[rdf]

Ticket to Work is the opportunity to earn a good salary if you are severely disabled. Don't spend the rest of your life earning less than you should just to stay on Medicare. A good paying job allows you to buy items that improves your quality of life. Most god jobs provide health insurance benefits.Agree. Another benefit is you're again paying into SS. This means if/when you get back on SSDI, you'll be making more than before.

Don't forget to sign up for Long Term Disability whenever it is offered. You have to accept it the FIRST time it's offered, or they'l refuse you. So anybody who is a new hire, make sure to ask about LTD - tell them you want to buy into it.

I didn't pay attention, and after 3 or 4 years, I tried to get on LTD. I was flatly refused due to my paraplegia. But if I had taken it my first year, I would have been good.

Work medical is important, too. But maybe not so much as before. Medicare has Advantage plans now (I don't know how long they've been available). So if you're on Medicare, you can have one of these Advantage plans. They cost maybe 20 bucks a month, some are free. But I believe they offer a vialbe option to work insurance.

Good luck to any and all who return to work, and ask any questions you can to stay atop all the ins and outs...you need to know, or you might lose out on some things as I did.

[darkeyed_daisy]

Medicare has Advantage plans now (I don't know how long they've been available). So if you're on Medicare, you can have one of these Advantage plans. They cost maybe 20 bucks a month, some are free. But I believe they offer a vialbe option to work insurance.

.

I am not going to take my companies insurance for this very reason. My Humana Gold choice is the same price as my Medicare monthly payment....and with the drug coverage too...I think my companies insurance would be more expensive.

Does anyone know how it would work if you took another insurance and your medicare advantage plan became your secondary?

I just dont want to get my Medicare screwed up again...it was hard to get my Medicare back to my primary after I had to quit my job.