Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits And MedicareWhen someone becomes disabled or is disabled and is unable to work, there's a great deal of things to consider. One is whether or not they are eligible to receive disability benefits. Benefits can come in many forms including some from Social Security while others are covered under Medicare. It's important for the individual to understand what they qualify for and the process involved when they want to apply for disability benefits and Medicare. Social security offers two different types of benefits and the one that an individual is eligible for depends largely on their activity prior to their disability. For someone who has worked at a job for a number of years, they may be eligible to receive social security disability benefits. They will have to prove they have been disabled to the point that they can no longer work. This can be a difficult and long process to go through, but if an individual has a valid and legitimate claim they can expect to be compensated. The other type of social security benefits that apply to the disabled are SSI benefits. These are in place to protect disabled individuals who may never have been able to work. Also, people who have worked part-time or for only a short period of time are often covered under SSI as well. When a person initially applies for disability they can inquire as to which coverage they may be eligible for. Medicare and Medicaid are slightly different. When a person is approved to receive SSD (or SSDI) payments they are not eligible to receive any benefits at all from Medicare for a full twenty-four months after they've been approved. This means that if a person applies for social security disability benefits and then is rejected and undergoes the appeal process, it will take even longer for them to see any benefits from Medicare. In the case of someone who is proven to be eligible for SSI benefits, they do not have to face that same waiting period. When a person is approved for SSI benefits they can expect to also receive Medicaid benefits beginning from that time. It's important to note that Medicaid and Medicare are not related directly to social security disability. Many people mistakenly believe that one office handles both amounts, but that's simply not the case. You should apply for either SSI or SSDI as soon as you possibly can. The reason this is so vitally important is that not all claims are initially approved, which means that the claimant must go through an often lengthy appeal process. The sooner the claim is registered, the sooner a decision can be reached. The same is true of an appeals request. Although there is a window of sixty days after a claim has been refused in which a claimant can register an appeal, the sooner it is done, the sooner that person will begin receiving SSDI and Medicare or SSI and Medicaid. Ensure that you keep very detailed medical records that can be submitted to the social security office along with your application for benefits. Too many people make the mistake of neglecting to keep a medical journal and sadly this can result in them not receiving any benefits at all. |