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Benefits of ObamaCare for Fibro patients

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 1/9/2016 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
I'm trying looking into ObamaCare as I am moving to the United States within a year. A friend of mine told me that it is supposed to provide you the best healthcare plan until you find a company to work for that has health coverage. Could anyone tell me the details on what it takes to be considered disabled with fibromyalgia? Does it really help?
Posted 1/9/2016 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
The ACA (Affordable Care Act) is a provision that every American should buy health insurance. Just as a FWIW, calling it Obamacare is a political statement for many and has very little to do with healthcare. I know you aren't American--so I am just trying to let you know.

The ACA is done differently depending on what state you end up in. Qualifications vary widely as well, due to the location of the state and the political majority making the laws. When you know where you will settle, go to that state' website and see what they have to say.

For people with no insurance AND/OR chronic conditions, the provision has saved lives. For people who already had/have private and work-based insurance, the ACA has been more difficult during the implementation and has resulted in higher prices. It still remains a political football for many.

Disability is something else, completely different and separate, and it is governed very differently. You apply,and build the case, and then it is determined. Many people apply several times before being granted disability. It is becoming harder to get, due to so many people flooding the system and trying to receive it for many different reasons. From what I have read, there are too many people applying and therefore stretching the program tighter. Some do qualify due to fibro.

I have no idea about citizenship and either program.

Hope that helps. Because of the ACA, I was able to quit a job and move careers, and still maintain affordable and quality health care. I went for four months with no insurance, and ended up taking half doses due to the price of my meds. I even had to go to local charities for help, and pricing my Ulcerative Colitis med at pharmacies all over town. The cheapest place was around 800 bucks a month for the one med. I did not make any doctor appointments during that time.
Posted 1/10/2016 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
Affordable Healthcare is a program available to US citizens and legal aliens and refugees. You would apply through The Marketplace upon arrival if you have proper immigration status when you arrive.

Disability is paid through our Social Security Administration and has essentially the same resident requirements but you must have worked in the US and paid into it to receive benefits. One can get SSI but it is a need based program that requires very low income. The benefits on that program are slightly over $600 per month. After 2 years of disability most SSI recipients qualify for Medicare. If truly indigent Medicaid may be available to cover medical costs. I would say in general that if you are poor enough for SSI you would qualify for Medicaid or other low cost medical care as well.

Just so you know the term 'Obama Care' is pejorative.

As far as qualifying for disability for fibro or related diagnosis; you would probably need a lot of medical documentation from qualified physicians who could be verified and a supporting opinion from a doctor hired by the Social Security Administration to examine and test you. Even with that the process can take years.
Posted 1/10/2016 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you, Myself 09 and peacefulwarrior, for the quick reply and detailed information. As a permanent resident of the U.S., I should be qualified for the ACA, but it sounds like it is hard to get the benefits.

I didn't know the term "Obama Care" was pejorative. That is exactly how my friend introduced it to me as a new healthcare system in the U.S. I will be careful when talking about that from now.

Thanks again!
Posted 1/10/2016 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
As a permanent resident, the ACA plan can be gotten in minutes through The Marketplace online or by calling via telephone. If you are indigent they can also qualify you for Medicaid (a program where all services are free). If not you will pay premiums (monthly charges for the plan) based on your income. You can choose different levels of benefits with varying deductibles and coinsurance percentages.

What might be hard to get are disability benefits (cash assistance). Sorry if I was not clear about that. If you have permanent resident status you are eligible to apply for SSI but unless you have worked in the US and paid into social security would only qualify for the limited cash assistance that I mentioned above. Some states also have programs for the disabled through their welfare systems.

Disability and Medical benefits are separate but often being disabled is a qualifying factor for those medical benefits if that makes sense. Possible government programs include Affordable Healthcare and Medicare at the federal level, Medicaid at the state level (actually shared by federal and state governments), as well as many other low cost or free medical programs at the local level, through universities and health care systems and county governments, some being quite good.

No worries about using the 'Obama-care' phrase. It's very common here and I've even heard government employees refer to it just that way!

Hope that helps.

Post Edited (peacefulwarrior) : 1/10/2016 7:40:29 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/10/2016 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
No worries. It can cause an argument but not always. Generally, most people will be cool.

What state you are applying in matters greatly. I have lived in three states in the past decade, and so for fun have followed implementation in all three. Some states have blocked tax rebates and federal dollars. More rural states or ones with a smaller population have limited options of carriers.

My current state has many options and is pretty pro-active. One previous state has blocked federal monies,leaving a lot of low-income people unable to afford coverage. The third has limited carriers due to extreme rural areas, including my former county of residence.

Post Edited By Moderator (Sherrine) : 1/10/2016 1:57:21 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/8/2016 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Before you sign up for the ACA PLEASE check into other options as most doctors do not take it. My
friend has the same issue and after paying for medical for over a year has finally found a GP. It doesn't
cover a lot of medicines either (asthma and such). I'm from Upstate NY and it's a real issue up here that you
can't find either the doctor or meds. My brother in Florida is 52 and can't afford to get the coverage as
it's over $400 a month with a $7500 a year deductible.

I get SSD as I've worked 40 years and am now disabled and after 2 years get Medicare but have found
that the $105 I pay a month doesn't cover much either. This is the first time I've used it and find I have
to pay a deductible at the doctors and then they only pay 80% so you have to get secondary coverage.


Good luck in your move here. Hope it goes well for you
Posted 3/8/2016 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
I have heard that one option is called Medi-share. I don't know any details about it; just heard about it on the radio. You could do an online search on it for their info.
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