How Social Security Disability Eligibility May be Affected by Changes to Medicare

1. March 15, 2017 How Social Security Disability Eligibility May be Affected by Changes to Medicare Image 1: Social Security Disability Eligibility Affected by Healthcare Reforms P a g e 1 | 3

2. Medicare is just one of the programs which Americans can take advantage of to earn healthcare. However, it’s not immune to the reforms in healthcare taking place at the moment. Despite tens of millions of Americans being covered by Medicare, every year brings a host of changes to its cost and coverage. The Changes to Medicare The biggest change to Medicare, is the rising cost of treatment plans, and 2017 will be no exception. The main rises in cost will be for those who have hospital coverage under Medicare part A, which covers things like hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, nursing home care and home health services. Medicare part B, which includes ambulance services, mental health, durable medical equipment and limited prescription drugs, will also see similar cost rises to Medicare part A. Those who are high income earners will have to pay even larger surcharges. One of the benefits of Medicare comes from part D, which provides drug prescription coverage to those enrolled. However, in 2017 the number of different plans available is likely to drop to its lowest level since 2006. Those enrolled in Medicare will have around 22 prescription drug plans to choose from, the problem being that these plans vary widely in terms of specific drugs they cover. This means that those who need specific medication may find it difficult to tailor their Medicare package to suit their needs. Because it has larger budgetary impact at a federal level, the government is looking to revise Medicare too. These potential revisions include trying to move patients toward insurer provided Medicare Advantage plans rather than the traditional Medicare program, as well as introducing a voucher system cap, which would shift the financial burden of rising healthcare costs onto participants. How it will Affect Social Security Disability Since many people who are eligible for Social Security Disability benefits are also enrolled with Medicare, they could find themselves unable to get the prescription drugs they need. While the benefits from Medicare don’t kick in until 24 months after you have met the Social Security Disability eligibility criteria, it’s still something that could have a large impact on the number of non-payment patients in your hospital. The increased financial burden from potential Medicare changes could see more patients unable to afford care which could translate to large losses for your hospital. P a g e 2 | 3

3. To ensure that your hospital does not lose out from the potential changes to Medicare, you should provide your patients access to professional resources, such as experts in disability eligibility. They will be able to help your disabled patients break down the benefits they are entitled to, as well as doing everything possible to get them to qualify for those benefits. By providing your patients with services like these, you can continue to offer high quality healthcare while at the same time, reassuring your patients that they will be okay financially. About DECO: No matter what their medical problems are, your patients deserve the best. This means that they will sometimes need help from companies like us at DECO. We are here to assist hospitals and patients through our expertise in eligibility management services. We can help you to keep your paying accounts from turning into non-paying ones. Sources: Here’s How Medicare is Changing in 2017, fool.com Qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits with a Rare Disease, RareDR.com P a g e 3 | 3