As we posted in a previous post having access to affordable insurance and a doctor is essential to your social security disability claim. A disability attorney can only take you so far, in the absence of a decent disability medical file. Fortunately under the Affordable Care Act more disability applicants will likely be able to get access to medical care than before. Using the power of the free market there will be much more competition for affordable insurance under Obamacare aka Affordable Care Act. In Utah there will be 96 different health plans and 28 dental plans. New companies such as Humana and Altius have lower prices for more affordable insurance in the individual plan market. This could help disability applicants that are applying for social security disability so that they will be able to better document the medical problems they have. Your disability attorney can then in turn use this evidence to show that you are unable to perform past work, other work, or that you meet one of the disability listings.
In order to purchase the insurance states could either set up their own exchanges or the federal government would establish the exchange–such as the case in Utah. There are exchanges for both small employers and individuals, however from the opening of the exchange program there have been problems and glitches on the websites. In Utah there appear to be two sites to enroll both here and on the Avenue H site for affordable insurance. Open enrollment continues until March 1, 2014. Also very helpful to those that aren’t sure how to navigate this new system are official “navigators” that can help the public. There are federally funded navigators from many different not for profit groups that include Take Care Utah and can also search for the nearest navigator here. The New York Times reported on the unfortunate scenario that many of the nation’s poor may fall into if they live in state that does not choose to expand Medicaid. In Utah Governor Gary Herbert has still not decided if Utah will expand medicaid to include many of the uninsured in the state. If you are applying for disability and lack insurance please work with your disability attorney and these exchanges/ navigators to get health insurance for your disability claim.
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