March 2012

When a person on SSI and Medicaid concludes a lawsuit for personal injuries, the Florida Medicaid agency swoops in and takes a big bite of the settlement or jury verdict to reimburse itself for the doctor and hospital bills caused by the person or corporation that hurt the disabled SSI/Medicaid recipient.  This action is based on the Florida Medicaid Third Party Liability Act, Florida Statutes, Section 409.910.

A few years ago, the U. S. Supreme Court substantially and appropriately reduced what Medicaid can get.  Click here for the Alhborn case.  Florida Medicaid has resisted the Supreme Court’s decision, but its position is now substantially weakened by a new U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision.

Based on a March 22nd U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, more net settlement money is going to go to diasbled plaintiffs.  The court’s decision completely eviscerates the Florida Medicaid agency’s defense to avoiding the reduction in the Medicaid lien based on the U.S. Supreme Court Ahlborn decision in 2006. This is going to allow substantially MORE money to go into plaintiff’s Special Needs Trusts funded from  Personal Injury/Medical Malpractice settlements or jury verdicts.Continue Reading Prediction: Florida Medicaid Liens will be reduced

It would be difficult to underestimate the positive impact of ObamaCare – the Affordable Care Act – on persons with disabilities.  In the last two weeks, I have had three clients who were seeking a finding of "disabled" by the Social Security Administration because being found eligible for a monthly disability check would qualify them to receive health care.  None of them are now that they can purchase health insurance.

The private profit-making health insurance industry will not take individuals with pre-existing health conditions.  One client, a published author, had lost her health insurance when she developed Crohn’s Disease.  Although it was initially somewhat managed, painfully, by medications, she now needs to have many feet of necrotic intestinal tissue removed surgically from her stomach.  Even though she has money, no insurance company would sell her health insurance.  She has too much money for Medicaid eligibility.  She will die without surgery.Continue Reading The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on persons with disabilities

Each year the Social Security Administration announces in October if there will be any changes in the amount of payments of SSI and SSDI due to Cost of Living Adjustments.  The new payments for SSI for 2012 are $698 to and individual, and $1048 to a married couple who are both on SSI.  SSI is…

We recently were asked whether there were any special protections in federal or state public benefits law that would prevent Special Needs Trust assets and income distributions from them, from being counted in the disabled beneficiary’s ability to pay alimony and child support to his wife and children.

Our response is found here.