Can you collect SSDI and Medicaid at the same time?

November 12, 2012

According to the Cypress Creek Mirror, a 58-year-old woman was diagnosed with stage IIIA metastatic breast cancer. She was unemployed at the time. A breast/ovarian cancer program through Texas qualified her under Medicaid. She has undergone chemotherapy and a mastectomy. Based on her work credits, she is eligible for Social Security Disability (SSDI), and the amount she can collect will be $1,535.

Her question is: “If I am put on medical disability through Social Security and I am placed on Medicare, what will happen with my Medicaid benefits? At present, I am not paying anything for my cancer treatments. I understand if I am placed on disability, I will automatically be placed on Medicare.”

To qualify for Medicaid, you must meet certain income requirements, and if you make too much, then you can lose your Medicaid benefits. The woman’s $1,535 SSDI benefit would be too much to qualify her for Medicaid.

She is just beginning her radiation treatments, and she does not have to pay for anything because she qualified with a non-profit organization. The website’s medicare columnist says that the woman should not risk her Medicaid eligibility by applying for Social Security Disability at this point.

She should wait and apply for Social Security Disability after she has finished all of her treatments.

If you or someone you know needs help with benefits, contact the disability lawyers at Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin.