SSDI bump coming
For those that are on SSDI, or Social Security Disability there is a surprise coming to you at the end of May. President Obama signed a bill to help those on SSDI get through both the economic crash and pay for MediGap. This bill allows the recipient to get between $200 and $250 per person who is getting help from the government. While this is not as much as the stimulus checks sent out to taxpayers, it is a welcome help for those that have run into MediGap. You will receive a letter in the next few days (if you don’t have it already) that explains all about the program. While we are all waiting for some help, here is what happens when Medicare spends more than $2600 on your medications:
For those that do now know what MediGap is (hang on tight):
If you have a prescription drug program that you are participating in because you are on Social Security then we may be in trouble. Social Security only pays $2600 of the money that you pay and they pay together. After you together pay $2600 there is no help in place until you have then paid out an additional $1500 to get to $4000. After draining your savings to nothing, Catastrophic Care kicks in and then pays for 95% of all prescriptions. The problem is most people on Social Security don’t have an additional $1500 to spend so that they can get their pills. So many just stop taking life saving medications until the end of the year when Social Security Security starts the payments all over again. It is crazy that there is nothing anyone can do to get help if you have expensive drugs. No medical plan will cover you during MediGap. If you have expensive pain killers you will almost always fall into this in the early part of the year.
Lets hope that more folks will be able to save enough money this year to pay for MediGap of next year. In the mean time this is an excellent time to blast your congressmen and senators about MediGap. It is unconscionable that people at the poverty line have to come up with an additional $1500 if they plan on continuing toi take their drugs. Medicare and Catastrophic Care should be right up next to each other so that when Medicare runs out, Catastrophic Care picks up. This is a ongoing problem that the republicans refused to fix when they were in the white house. We need to tell those in power now (including the President) that this set-up is the most disgusting and ridiculous set of laws in existence. There is no way most people can come up with $1500 over several months before Catastrophic Care kicks in. Obviously thought was in place for those htat have expensive medications, but it is too much to ask. With all the bail outs of the fat cats in Wall Street and the car industry when do we help those that cannot help themselves?
Most on disability had good jobs but were hurt and can no longer work. Most are in wheelchairs and live in agonizing pain from their accident. Before their accident they were paying into the system like everyone else. Why is it when they need the help it is nowhere to be found? It is tough enough to pay the deductible for drugs, let alone coming up with a mountain of money when your pills have cost you $2500. You are being punished for getting hurt and for requiring expensive drugs to stay alive. Is the government hoping that you will die because you can only take your medications for 6 month stints. Then you have to wait another 6 months to take them again. During that open time your blood pressure soars or your kidneys shut down or you live in excruciating pain that makes it impossible to live. Sounds fun to us. It is time for some compassion from Washington so that we don’t have to decide whether we take our drugs or feed our families this month.
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