Oftentimes we will hear or read things talking about how we need reformation of privatized healthcare. We don’t often read or listen to things that talk about what we can be doing currently to better our lives. I feel like the polarity that is so often expressed in contemporary media does us a disservice, and can cause us to feel hopeless. In this piece, I aim to discuss what disabled people of New Hampshire and New England as a whole can do to get help.
A lot of these things individually can be found in one place or another. The New Hampshire DHHSLinks to an external site.has one webpage which is a very helpful resource linking to most of the knowledge you may need. However, this webpage can lead you to complete dead ends if you have no prior knowledge, and end up being indigestible. That is why I have compiled some information for someone who could benefit from it going into the application process.
In New Hampshire if you are disabled and seeking healthcare, there are a few options for you to consider depending on your circumstances. One of which is the Aid to the Permanently & DisabledLinks to an external site.. This program offers cash assistance for people with physical or mental disabilities aged 18-64 years old in New Hampshire. The requirements are not too strenuous. However, on their general requirements, it says “You must explore and apply for all potential kinds of income to which you may be entitled.”. This essentially means that you must apply for any government-subsidized funding that you may be eligible for including Social Security Benefits, Retirement Benefits, etc. which could be difficult to apply for if you have never done so.
An option for working adults with disabilities seeking healthcare is MEAD and MOADLinks to an external site. Medicaid for Employed Adults with Disabilities is for people suffering from disabilities aged 18-64, and it is better known as MEAD. Medicaid for Older Adults with Disabilities
These programs are offered to every person with a disability who is employed, contributes to FICA, makes less than or equal to 450% of the FPG, has a documented medical impairment that is included in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments and that is expected to last 48 months or longer and enroll in cost-free health insurance if your employer offers it. These are much more strenuous requirements when considering you have to provide proof for all of these things. At face value, it is fairly reasonable and easy to provide proof for. FICA is the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, and was put into action in 1935. If you are employed you contribute to FICA, so being employed and contributing to FICA go hand in hand.
The next requirement is when the application process becomes more difficult, especially when you don’t understand how they calculate your income. They require that you make less than or equal to $5,648 a month individually. Furthermore, when applying you have to meet the general nonfinancial requirements/conditions of eligibility for Medicaid. These include being a resident in the state you receive Medicaid and a citizen of the United States of America according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
In conclusion, these programs are not the greatest in the world, they’re not even as great as they could be. However, it is important that we know how we can best take advantage of what we pay for. The closest thing I could find to people sharing their anecdotal experiences, and providing help was r/Medicaid and r/Medicare. Reddit is extremely helpful surprisingly when searching for help because they have very fine-tuned forums to what you may be looking for. This is not the only insight you should have when applying for government assistance, but it is a helpful guide.
Works Cited:
University of New Hampshire. (2023, December 6). UNH Healthcare vitals: New Hampshire Insurance Department’s annual hearing on health care premiums and claim cost drivers. Franklin Pierce School of Law. https://law.unh.edu/blog/2023/12/unh-healthcare-vitals-new-hampshire-insurance-departments-annual-hearing-health-care-premiums-claim
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). NH Medicaid (medical assistance) eligibility. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/medicaid/nh-medicaid-medical-assistance-eligibility
University of New Hampshire. (n.d.). New Hampshire Disability Statistics. New Hampshire Disability Statistics Institute on Disability. https://iod.unh.edu/new-hampshire-disability-statistics
Aid to the permanently & totally disabled. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a). https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disability-care/aid-permanently-totally-disabled
MEAD and MOAD eligibility. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-b). https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/medicaid/nh-medicaid-medical-assistance-eligibility/mead-and-moad-eligibility
Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). DHHS fact sheet. https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt476/files/documents2/bfa-progam-fact-sheet.pdf Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (n.d.). 2024 poverty guidelines: 48 Contiguous States (all … – aspe. ASPE.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Medicaid eligibility. Medicaid.gov. https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/index.html
Social Security Administration. (n.d.-b). What is Fica? https://www.ssa.gov/people/materials/pdfs/EN-05-10297.pdf
Medicaid – help with free (or low) cost healthcare!. Reddit.com. (n.d.). https://www.reddit.com/r/Medicaid/
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