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Monday, July 2, 2007

Medicaid and SSI Together

Not everybody is lucky enough to have a source of income and an able body to engage in gainful employment. For those who are unlucky enough, our government has programs to aid our citizens in their time of need and misfortune.

Medicaid and SSI benefits are among the benefits granted by the government to help old and disabled citizens be able to continue a humane existence.

Medicaid is a jointly funded, Federal-State health insurance program for low-income and needy people. It grants coverage to children, aged, blind and/or otherwise disabled to receive federally assisted income maintenance payments.

Medicaid and SSI benefits are not mutually exclusive. A person who is eligible for SSI benefits can also be granted Medicaid.

However, since SSI benefits are granted to persons who have low income and with disabilities, there is a possibility that persons with SSI benefits and who are also receiving Medicaid support may lose the latter assistance when the recipient engages in work and increased his or her income.

To continue receiving Medicaid while engaging in gainful employment, a person must have been eligible for SSI cash payments for at least one month. In addition, he or she should still meets the disability requirements mandated by SSA. Also, the person must meet the non-disability requirements of SSI as well. Aside from the above, it must be shown that the person still needs Medicaid assistance to be able to continue working and his or her gross earnings should still be insufficient to replace SSI assistance.

In the end, the test really is in the actual need of the person to be granted aid and assisted with benefits to be able to survive and live a humane life.