Health Insurance and Government Benefits

Disability.gov offers parents and guardians of special needs/medically fragile children a wealth of important resources. It is a new federal government website that provides a community-driven information network of disability-related programs, services, laws and benefits. The site covers 10 main subject areas – benefits, civil rights, community life, education, emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, technology and transportation. WWW.DISABILITY.GOV

Here are four sections taken directly from the Disability.gov web site:

Social Security Benefits for Disabled Children http://www.ssa.gov/kids/parent6.htm

 

A child who is disabled may depend on your help for the rest of their lives. Social Security has two programs that pay disability benefits to disabled children: Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

If you retire, become disabled, or die, Social Security benefits may be paid to your children over 18 who have been disabled before the age of 22 and continue to be disabled. Social Security benefits for disabled children may continue as long as they are unable to work because of their disability. (Remember, Social Security benefits to all other children stop at age 18.)

 

Disabled Children under 18 years old

Social Security makes payment under the SSI program to disabled children under 18 whose families have little income and resources. SSI payments are based on need rather than prior work and may be paid to children regardless whether a parent is retired, disabled or has died. These benefits also continue as long as the child is disabled and has little income or resources.

A child under 18 is considered disabled if his or her physical or mental condition is so severe that it results in marked and severe functional limitations. The condition must last or be expected to last at least 12 months or be expected to result in the child’s death. And of course, the child must not be working at a job that we consider substantial work.

Disabled Children 18 years or older

Under both Social Security and SSI, children 18 or older are considered disabled if they meet the adult definition of disability, i.e., their condition must be severe enough to prevent them from doing any kind of work for which they are suited.

Social Security has a toll-free number that operates from 7a.m. to 7p.m., on Monday through Friday: 1-800-772-1213. If you have a touch-tone phone, recorded information and services are available 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our toll-free “TTY” number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Please have your Social Security number handy when you call us. Or visit your local Social Security office

Supplemental Security Income for Disabled Children

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/dibplan/dqualify10.htm

The SSI program can provide valuable monthly cash benefits to children who are disabled under SSA rules and whose families have little income or resources.

Determining whether a child is disabled under SSI regulations is a collaborative effort between Federal and State officials.

Under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, Social Security can provide benefits to children with disabilities. A child who is eligible for Federal SSI cash benefits is also eligible, depending on the State, for State supplemental payments, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other social services. This financial, medical and rehabilitation services support may enable a child to achieve a level of functioning that gives him or her a significant degree of self support. When this support is coupled with various work incentives provided by the disability program, it can ultimately lead a child to independence so that he or she can leave the disability rolls.

To receive SSI payments, a child must meet two sets of eligibility criteria: financial criteria based on the income and resources of the child and family; and medical criteria about the child’s impairment or combination of impairments.