I get SSI but they enrolled me in Medicare!

birdcrazy · Aug 10, 2018, 08:02 PM

I've been getting SSI NOT SSDI for bipolar since 2010. I've been enrolled in Medicaid that entire time too. Anyway I get a letter in the mail I've been enrolled in Medicare and I was supposed to have gotten it since 2012 and I got another letter to apply to Extra Help. Anyway I can't afford any sort of copayments that would come with Medicare, I only get my SSI and my husband is trying to get SSI but currently he gets no income at all. But Social Security keeps insisting I qualify for Medicare. Every website I read on the subject says SSI people my age (35) don't qualify. And I know I get SSI because I pay attention to such things! What can I do?

BeyondtheRainbow · Aug 10, 2018, 09:51 PM

I would go to my local social security office with the letter and your benefit letter for the year if you have it and ask them to explain.

birdcrazy · Aug 10, 2018, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I would go to my local social security office with the letter and your benefit letter for the year if you have it and ask them to explain.

I did that... They didn't know what was going on either...

unaluna · Aug 10, 2018, 10:27 PM

Go ahead and call the number on the Extra Help letter. If you qualify, i think they will pay some medicare, like hospital only. I dont think it can hurt. They call me every year but i never qualify.

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 08:56 AM

My local pharmacy offered me counsel if I couldn't afford my medicine anymore... That doesn't make me feel better. All the Medicare guy said was there would be "consequences" if I proteseted enrollment. I got to protest somehow I think! I tried posting this on a legal advice forum and they are treating me like I'm stupid...

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 09:41 AM

Those granted SSDI have to wait 2 yrs to get their Medicare. They usually qualify for medicaid during that waiting period. That makes me think you have SSDI - you were granted it 2010 and the medicare was suppose to be active in 2012.

Is your benefit greater than $750 a month? Because that is what folks on SSI get

Call Social Security not Medicare to get this straightened out. Also you can get a copy of your award letter on their (SSA) website and it should state what program you are in SSI/SSDI.

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anxiety247

Those granted SSDI have to wait 2 yrs to get their Medicare. They usually qualify for medicaid during that waiting period. That makes me think you have SSDI - you were granted it 2010 and the medicare was suppose to be active in 2012.

Is your benefit greater than $750 a month? Because that is what folks on SSI get

Call Social Security not Medicare to get this straightened out. Also you can get a copy of your award letter on their (SSA) website and it should state what program you are in SSI/SSDI.

I get exactly 750 a month and I checked my award letter and even what it says on my direct deposit... It's SSI.

People in the SS office kept saying that I qualified because I was getting disability for two years and I was supposed to get it back in 2012 but I was getting as I keep saying SSI the whole time, not SSDI.

unaluna · Aug 11, 2018, 09:47 AM

"The main difference between Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is the fact that SSDI is available to workers who have accumulated a sufficient number of work credits, while SSI disability benefits are available to low-income individuals who have either never worked or who haven't..."

So technically it IS disability.

They usually switch people to medicare after the 2 year waiting period. If you cant afford it, thats why they have the extra help and other programs.

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unaluna

"The main difference between Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is the fact that SSDI is available to workers who have accumulated a sufficient number of work credits, while SSI disability benefits are available to low-income individuals who have either never worked or who haven't..."

So technically it IS disability.

Check out the internet though, people on SSI are not qualifed to get Medicare until 65.

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 09:52 AM

Adding Medicare to my Medicaid puts copayments on my medications. Me and my husband living on only 750 a month is already not working, I take Latuda, the Medicare co-payment on that med is really high but when I was just on Medicaid it was free. That us what I am protesting.

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 09:53 AM

Difference between SSDI/SSI

The main difference between Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is the fact that SSDI is available to workers who have accumulated a sufficient number of work credits, while SSI disability benefits are available to low-income individuals who have either never worked or who haven't earned enough work credits to qualify for SSDI

>> What Is the Difference Between Social Security Disability (SSDI) and SSI? | DisabilitySecrets

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 09:58 AM

You have SSI.

SSI has no age requirement. Many younger people can get it. You are probably confusing it with Social Security Retirement which you can not get til age 65.

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 10:00 AM

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits | Social Security Administration

unaluna · Aug 11, 2018, 10:04 AM

All i can tell you is, answer the extra help letter. You should be on medicare now, not medicaid. You ARE on disability. You can get in trouble for not switching AFAIK. Good luck.

unaluna · Aug 11, 2018, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdcrazy

Adding Medicare to my Medicaid puts copayments on my medications. Me and my husband living on only 750 a month is already not working, I take Latuda, the Medicare co-payment on that med is really high but when I was just on Medicaid it was free. That us what I am protesting.

Thats why there are "extra help" programs. You cant just take the medicaid because it works better for you. Otherwise yeah everybody would choose it for their insurance duh.

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 10:16 AM

It really sounds like she has SSI. She gets 750 a month and she should rightfully get medicaid and not medicare.

I would call or go to a local social security office with the letters to get it figured out. If she enrolls into Medicare she would lose so much in terms of the coverage she has now.

birdcrazy · 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anxiety247

It really sounds like she has SSI. She gets 750 a month and she should rightfully get medicaid and not medicare.

I would call or go to a local social security office with the letters to get it figured out. If she enrolls into Medicare she would lose so much in terms of the coverage she has now.

They already enrolled me and wouldn't let me protest it!

I wonder if this has to do with work credits, when I originally applied for disability back in 2010, they said I was "very close to getting SSDI but barely not enough work credits" I got married in 2012. My husband only has 2 work credits because he worked "under the table" most of his life (which he regrets now) but could those two credits have something to do with it? Also I just got redetermined to get SSI and it's kinda funny this is happening now. Also on another forum, somebody suggested I try to prove I was disabled since I was a child ( back then I had severe meltdowns, hyperactivity, and other symptoms requiring special education and had a childhood diagnosis of ADHD. I've had the suggestion it was the choildhood start of the mood disorder I have now with maybe a mild autism spectrum disorder thrown in.

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 10:38 AM

Thats BS!!!

Call SS 1st thing Monday. It sounds as if they are confusing your benefit with SSDI - being you get 750 you are on SSI and should have medicaid bottom line. Medicare is ****** as hell for mental coverage and well the copays as you know are ridiculous.

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 10:52 AM

I found the award letter I got just last month, to quote it word for word it says "We are writing to tell you that you will continue to receive Supplemental Security Income payments if you still meet all the other eligibility requirements. This is because you are still disabled under our rules. Also, your Medicaid coverage will continue."

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 11:02 AM

Told ya it was SSI.

Nothing you can do over the weekend. Try and relax. Monday get on phone with SS to get it sorted out. Reference that letter you have bc they will have a copy on file. They should be able to get the medicare disenrolled and with medicaid you might have to call the state or if you have a case manager they should be able to help get the medicaid reinstated. Good luck!!

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anxiety247

Told ya it was SSI.

Nothing you can do over the weekend. Try and relax. Monday get on phone with SS to get it sorted out. Reference that letter you have bc they will have a copy on file. They should be able to get the medicare disenrolled and with medicaid you might have to call the state or if you have a case manager they should be able to help get the medicaid reinstated. Good luck!!

Oh you dont understand, they said I would be duel enrolled Medicare and Medicaid, but that's not good because there are med copays with that too. Letter said the Medicare premiums were covered but I would be responsible for the rest.

unaluna · Aug 11, 2018, 11:26 AM

Michigan has like a combined medicaid medicare program. I think thats the problem here.

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 11:33 AM

I can't stand one thing Michigan changed reciently, I was getting a state supplement of 42 dollars every 3 months, but because I am married and for that reason only it was reduced by 11 dollars. Now my husband doesn't have an income, how is that fair when two people instead of one rely on that money. Back in 2012 they cut my husbands state disability as soon as we were married too... We have been fighting all this time to get him SSI too! He does have a hearing coming up but even then a married couple combined only gets 75 percent of what two single people would get!

birdcrazy · Aug 11, 2018, 11:37 AM

Also DHS promised to help with home repairs and to hire an exterminator then changed its mind when it found out the place wasn't really ours and belonged to my uncle who we rent it from. They said my uncle would have to request the repairs, he refuses to. On top of that waitlists for income based housing are horribly long and so we can't get out of this horrible housing. We keep being refused help everywhere we turn.

anxiety247 · Aug 11, 2018, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdcrazy

Oh you dont understand, they said I would be duel enrolled Medicare and Medicaid, but that's not good because there are med copays with that too. Letter said the Medicare premiums were covered but I would be responsible for the rest.

If you have SSI you CAN NOT get Medicare.

Duel eligible is those on SSDI (medicare) and is depending on your states guidelines get Medicaid.
Also if you are duel - there are no copays at all

I been dealing with this SS/Medicare/Medicaid for almost 20 yrs - believe I do understand the programs =)

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