SSI TIPS FOR SSI RECIPIENTS WHO WANT TO WORK
For many people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the fear of losing the accompanying health insurance - Medicaid (or MassHealth in Massachusetts)
- may keep them from seeking a job. This article will review one of the SSI work incentives referred to as status 1619(b): Continued Medicaid Coverage.
Will I automatically lose my MassHealth when I begin to work?
Do I have to apply for Continued Medicaid Coverage?
If the answer to these questions is "yes" then the Medicaid "Needs" tests have been met. Family members should monitor earnings monthly and contact the SSA as soon as
SSI cash payments stop to insure that the 1619(b) determination is made.
Will there be a point when my Medicaid will end?
Yes and no. Please also see the following question and answer. To receive traditional Medicaid your gross earnings must remain below a threshold amount. In 2001, the
threshold amount for a person with a disability in Massachusetts is $25,486.36. Earnings at or above this amount are considered to be enough to replace the cost of
Medicaid coverage. You may later qualify, however, if you earnings fall below this amount within 12 months and all other eligibility criteria continue to be met.
Individualized threshold amounts can be computed if there are unusually high medical costs, work expenses or a Plan to Achieve Self Support (PASS).
What if I can't afford health insur-ance, but I am earning too much to receive traditional Medicaid?
If you lose your medical coverage due to increased earnings, you may buy into the Medicaid program. In Massachusetts, this is called the CommonHealth program. It allows
people with disabilities who are working to purchase Medicaid. There are no resource limits for purchasing CommonHealth. Members pay a monthly premium according to a
sliding scale fee based on income and family size.
MassHealth and CommonHealth member booklets are available on the CRC resource wall on FH2. Past newsletter articles about both programs
are available on the staff access section of the department's website.
-This article was adapted and used with permission from the Federation for Children with Special Needs. The original article is a product of Opening Doors, a collaborative
project of the Institute for Community Inclusion, Federation for Children with Special Needs and the Disability Law Center that seeks to increase utilization of SSI work incentives.
No. SSI checks are gradually reduced as earnings increase. When you earn enough money by working that you no longer receive a SSI monthly cash payment, you are
said to have reached your "break-even point" (BEP). BEP's vary for each person, depending upon the amount of SSI they receive. MassHealth eligibility will continue
even after you reach your BEP as long as you would otherwise remain eligible for SSI (i.e., your disability still exists and you continue to meet the resource limit).
Although you would not be receiving SSI payments, you would be eligible for Continued Medicaid Coverage under status 1619(b).
No. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will automatically determine eligibility for 1619(b), and confirm this at the next determination period. When SSA
contacts you, they will ask three questions to confirm eligibility for continued Medicaid. They want to verify that you need Medicaid in order to work. The SSA may ask:
and
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