If you’ve been approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, your benefits will never start with the date you became disabled.

This is because the law requires that you wait five full months before you can receive any SSDI benefits. This is commonly called the 5-month wait period. There is really no explanation for this other than the government saw a way to save some money.

So, not only will you wait 5 months for your benefits to start, you will also wait 24 months from the date your benefits start to become eligible for Medicare. (Another way for the government to save some money).

We’ll run through an example so you can see what we mean.

• You became disabled on June 12, 2009;
• Add the 5-month wait period, and you are not eligible for benefits until December 1, 2009;
• This means that you become eligible for Medicare on December 1, 2011.

For some people, an application for SSI benefits will fill that 5-month gap with some money. But there are severe financial requirements to be eligible for SSI. -You essentially have to be destitute: you cannot own more than $2000 in liquid assets and must have no or limited family income to qualify.

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If you'd like to talk to an attorney about your Social Security case, please contact us via e-mail, phone, or the Internet.

You may also be interested in:
FREE Social Security Case Evaluation
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This blog provides general information. Do not mistake it for legal advice. Please read our disclaimer.

Related posts:

1. I Have Applied for Both SSDI and SSI Benefits, How Will My Benefits Be Calculated?
2. What is the Difference Between SSDI and SSI?
3. Are There Programs That Will Help Me Pay My Medicare Costs?

If you receive Medicare and have trouble paying your Medicare costs, you may qualify for help.

Help is available through two programs—

• the QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program)
• and the SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program).

How do I know if I am eligible?

Keep in mind that the state where you live determines your eligibility. In some states your income can be higher than the amounts listed below:

• For the QMB program, your income cannot be more than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (also called the Federal Poverty Level).
• You can qualify for the SLMB program if your income is between 100 and 120 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• See the Federal Poverty Guidelines for 2009.
• Additionally, for 2009, you cannot have financial resources such as bank accounts or stocks that total more than $4,000 for one person or $6,000 for a family of two. Resources generally are things you own. However, not everything is counted. The house you live in, for example, doesn’t count; and generally one car also doesn’t count.

How do the programs work if I qualify?

If you qualify for assistance under the QMB program, you will not have to pay:

• Medicare’s hospital deductible amount, which is $1,068 per benefit period in 2009;
• The daily coinsurance charges for extended hospital and skilled nursing facility stays;
• The Medicare Medical Insurance (Part B) premium, which is $96.40 per month in 2009;
• The $135 annual Part B deductible;
• The 20 percent coinsurance for services covered by Medicare Part B, depending on which doctor you go to.

If you qualify for the SLMB program, you will only receive assistance with the $96.40 monthly Part B premium.

In Colorado, contact 1-888-696-7213 or visit Colorado’s Senior Health Assistance Program to find out if you are eligible.

Outside Colorado, call the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its toll-free telephone number (800) 633-4227, or contact Medicare online.

If you liked this post, you can get more updates: subscribe to our RSS feed, subscribe to E-mail updates, follow us on Twitter, or become a Facebook fan.

If you'd like to talk to an attorney about your Social Security case, please contact us via e-mail, phone, or the Internet.

You may also be interested in:
FREE Social Security Case Evaluation
Ask a Social Security Lawyer
Social Security FAQs

_____________________
This blog provides general information. Do not mistake it for legal advice. Please read our disclaimer.

Related posts:

1. What is the Difference Between SSDI and SSI?
2. I’ve Been Approved for SSDI, Why Don’t My Benefits Start Right Away?
3. All Income You Receive Will Affect Your SSI Benefits