WIPA Eligibility

According to the WIPA manual, there are only three eligibility criteria for WIPA services. These are:

1. At least age 14, but less than the person’s full age of retirement;
2. The person experiences a disability per SSA’s definition; and
3. Currently receiving Social Security benefits based on disability (Title XVI or Title II disability related benefits)

And yes - it is FREE!

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

New money to be designed with blind in mind

U.S. District Judge James Robertson said he would not allow the Treasury Department to go at its own pace as it complies with a May ruling that U.S. paper money discriminates against the blind.


(09-05) 04:00 PDT Washington -- When the next generations of $5, $10, $20 and $50 bills roll off the presses, there should be some way for blind people to tell them apart, a federal judge said Thursday.Treasury officials have hired a contractor to investigate ways to help the blind differentiate between bills, perhaps by printing different sizes or including raised numbers. Government attorneys urged the judge to let that process play out and not interfere with anti-counterfeiting redesigns that are already in process.

Robertson was not persuaded.

"The Treasury Department is not going to just conduct this on its own schedule and its own terms. Let that be clear," he said.

Robertson ordered attorneys for the government to meet with the American Council of the Blind, which brought the lawsuit, and come up with a schedule that requires changes in the next generation of bills.

The next $100 design could be printed as early as autumn and Robertson said those bills won't be affected. But subsequent designs should be able to solve the problem, the judge said.

Government lawyers said they plan to argue that Robertson does not have the authority to interfere with the Treasury's printing responsibilities.

The judge said he'd consider the argument but quipped that, if he didn't have authority to require changes, how was he supposed to enforce the ruling? What would the court order say, he asked, "Go out and have a good time? We'll see you when it's all over?"

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/05/BU0M12O759.DTL

This article appeared on page C - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle



Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

2008 Democratic National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Pamela Cash-Roper, Unemployed Nurse and Lifelong Republican From North Caroli

Includes an interesting story about SSDI and Health Insurance.

Could work incentives helped their situation???????????

WWD and Private Health Insurance—Scenario

John is a gainfully-employed individual with a disability, and he has healthcare coverage under Worker with Disabilities (WWD), North Dakota’s Medicaid buy-in program. He pays a premium of $80 per month for the WWD coverage. John’s employer recently told John that John has worked for the business long enough, and is working enough hours, to qualify for coverage under the employer’s health insurance plan. John’s share of the premium for this coverage would be just $40.00 per month.

Should John have both WWD coverage and the private health insurance? The answer depends on a number of factors, including what items and services the private insurance plan covers, whether John will lose the private insurance if his work hours decrease, and whether John has to pay the premiums for both WWD and the private plan.

The private insurer would be required to be the primary, or first, payer of the medical expenses covered under the plan. After that, WWD, as a Medicaid-type program, would fill in the gaps as the secondary payer.

Medicaid might pay John’s share of the premium for the private health insurance if it is "cost effective" for Medicaid to do so. If this is cost effective, Medicaid could even require John to apply for and take the private insurance so that the private insurer would pay first. However, if Medicaid required John to enroll in the private plan, Medicaid would pay the premium for the private insurance in order to save money for the WWD program. Medicaid would not require John to enroll in the private plan if Medicaid would not pay the premium for it.

John should bring this matter to the attention of his eligibility worker at the county Medicaid office for a "cost effectiveness" determination.

Source: Medicaid Program Policy Manual sections 510-05-20-05 and 510-05-20-15.



Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Another Great Benefit of WWD -- Extra Help with Medicare Part D

The Workers with Disabilities (WWD) program in North Dakota allows eligible individuals with disabilities who are gainfully employed to “buy into” Medicaid healthcare coverage by paying a monthly premium.

If you have WWD coverage and also receive Medicare benefits, you are automatically eligible for extra help with paying for your Medicare prescription drugs. This extra help is called the low-income subsidy, and it is available to you because WWD is a Medicaid-type program.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

World-Wide Disability Rights News

SSI/SSDI Overpayment - Joint and Several Liability

Taking on the responsibility of being someone's representative payee should not be taken lightly. Similarly, professional rep-payee services have a responsibility to understand the effects income may have on their beneficiaries SSI and/or SSDI benefits. Failure to keep abreast of rules, thresholds, rule changes, guidelines, etc...could lead to an overpayment. When this occurs - who is responsible to re-pay the debt to SSA????

The answer could be both. This is where joint and several liability comes into play.

Below is a fictional case in which the rep-payee was simply passing the money along w/out taking into consideration the beneficiaries work activity and the ramifications that income posed - and because of a waiver...the rep-payee is liable for the overpayment.

Scenario:

For quite some time, the rep payee has not paid attention to the beneficiary's work activity and earnings. The beneficiary works more hours than he previously did, and his earnings exceed the SGA guideline and his SSDI benefits end. However, the rep payee used the SSDI checks for the benefit of the beneficiary. The beneficiary incurs a $10,000 overpayment of SSDI. The beneficiary is granted a waiver of the OP.

Who is liable for repayment of the OP?

Both the beneficiary (he received the benefit of the SSDI checks) and the rep payee (at fault in connection with the OP for not exercising due diligence in helping the beneficiary managing his financial matters).

Who has to pay?

Not the beneficiary because of the waiver. The rep payee has to repay the OP.


Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com