We represent claimants on Social Security disability claims. Although a majority of these clients have healthcare and are able to adequately treat for the conditions that prevent them from working, there are still too many people out there who do not have health insurance and are not treating for their conditions.
This is a real problem for people who are trying to prove they are disability to access disability benefits. We have to tell people all the time that if they are not treating for their disabilities it is nearly impossible to prove they are disabled. Medical records are the evidence we need to prove that a claimant is disabled and if you don’t go to the doctor, there are no medical records available to determine how severe a claimant’s conditions are.
The objective of the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare,” was to ensure that all Americans have access to healthcare coverage. Although the program has done a good job of expanding insurance coverage to many as evidenced by the 9 million people who gained insurance last year, nearly 33 million Americans still lack any healthcare coverage.
You constantly hear from republicans who are still opposed to “Obamacare” and claim they will repeal it when they become president. Because coverage can depend a lot on what state you live in, local decisions by opponents to the law have made it more difficult to access coverage, which it has left a significant gap in coverage.
The more disturbing fact is that most of the uninsured, which equates to about 10 percent of the population, are people who should be able to access insurance under the law, but have not done so.
More than half of the uninsured in America fall into one of three categories including non-citizen immigrants, people under the age of 35 and those who fall into the Medicaid Gap. The Medicaid Gap includes uninsured adults who live in states that do not expand Medicaid. Despite the passage of “Obamacare,” a 2012 ruling by the Supreme Court allowed the states to decide individually on whether or not to expand Medicaid. The Medicaid expansion was intended to be a nationwide initiative as part of “Obamacare.”
As President Barack Obama continues to look at new ways to get more people insured by the Affordable Care Act before its January 31 open enrollment deadline, it has become clear that many people lack the information on ways to access healthcare coverage.
Americans who lack healthcare coverage should seek coverage whether they are going through a Social Security disability claim or not. A good place to start is at www.healthcare.gov or by calling 1-800-318-2596. Representatives will attempt to assist those who don’t have health insurance. These representatives will look at all plan options and assist with additional funding for all plans.
Unfortunately even if a large majority of the uninsured takes action and does access healthcare coverage there are still people in the country who will be unable to access care because of states that have refused to participate in the expansion of Medicaid. For these people healthcare coverage might seem like a dead end, but there is still care out there that that can be accessed. These people should search for free or low-cost clinics that operate near them. There are many clinics and facilities that operate through public or private donations that offer care to people who are unable to pay. A little bit of an effort can go a long way.
