Many small medical clinics, radiology departments, imaging centers, dental and veterinary offices are making the switch to digital imaging. DICOM Solutions allow you to do this easily and economically. By using ordinary personal computers, you simply add PACS software, which allows for film imagery to be converted to digital images. No more high costs for purchasing film, film developing as well as the risk of exposure to toxic developing chemicals when moving to dicom conversion software.
DICOM Solutions stands for digital imaging and communication in medicine solutions. The beauty of digital imaging is that these pictures can be sent at digital speeds to any doctor, hospital or clinic that has Internet access. This has revolutionized the transfer of patient images for consultations with the best doctors no matter where in the world they are located, because with the click of a mouse those images can be at the doctor's computer in a matter of seconds.
A dicom conversion is possible because of PACS software. PACS stands for picture archiving and communication system, and is the software that allows for digital imaging of films. Another nice feature of the dicom conversion is that images can taken in several modalities, including x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, mammograms, ultrasounds and others, and all can be converted to digital images. Making the change to digital is very cost effective, because you can focus on the specific digital features that your medical office needs, and switch over by retrofitting the radiology equipment you currently possess.
Many medical clinics switch to DICOM because of the ease of using the dicom archive. In order to comply with HIPAA standards of patient record retention of seven to ten years, hospitals and clinics in the past have had to use a great deal of space to physically store the paper records. It also took a lot of hours of work in terms of filing, archiving and retrieval of patient records. Now with the dicom archive, the physical space you need for storage of patient records is only the size of your server. Patient information is easily recorded, stored and retrieved from a computer workstation that has the correct software installed.
The dicom archive also helps clinics to provide better patient care. Although rare, it did occasionally happen that hard copy patient records were misfiled, leading to unhealthy results for patients. With the dicom archive, there is a much reduced chance of such errors occurring.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Hemrick
Friday, November 7, 2008
Medicare Supplements Standardized
It's true, Medicare supplements aren't as glitzy as you might like, but sometimes boringly predictable is a good thing. That's what makes Medicare supplements a good bet if you're looking for extra health care coverage and don't think you want to make the leap to private health care insurance carriers.
The various plans offered in Medicare are truly standardized, meaning they all offer the same thing and there isn't any guesswork about it. They all have the same networks and are literally identical from one health care insurance company to another. Well--almost.
The only one area in which these plans are not equal is in the pricing. Each insurance company can sell these plans at any price they set. Now that either means they're charging what the market will bear, or someone thought they'd run a number up the flagpole to see if anyone saluted.
There you have it-- the big differences in these plans is the price. So that means it actually makes good sense to shop around for Medicare supplement plans and do some price comparisons. The pricing issue isn't really a secret. It's just that a lot of people don't bother to call around because they hate talking to insurance agents. Pity, because even calling just three agents could save you money.
If you don't believe insurance companies would actually charge you more for the same thing other companies sell, then read page 15 of the document called Choosing a Medigap Policy which states in black and white "There can be a big difference is premiums that different insurance companies charge for exactly the same coverage." Now in polite company this would be called taking advantage of consumers. In not so polite company this may be regarded as a rip off.
If you want a deal on your health care coverage, be smart and talk to an agent who has a large pool of companies to work with. That way you can be assured of getting a decent price for your premiums.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cantu
The various plans offered in Medicare are truly standardized, meaning they all offer the same thing and there isn't any guesswork about it. They all have the same networks and are literally identical from one health care insurance company to another. Well--almost.
The only one area in which these plans are not equal is in the pricing. Each insurance company can sell these plans at any price they set. Now that either means they're charging what the market will bear, or someone thought they'd run a number up the flagpole to see if anyone saluted.
There you have it-- the big differences in these plans is the price. So that means it actually makes good sense to shop around for Medicare supplement plans and do some price comparisons. The pricing issue isn't really a secret. It's just that a lot of people don't bother to call around because they hate talking to insurance agents. Pity, because even calling just three agents could save you money.
If you don't believe insurance companies would actually charge you more for the same thing other companies sell, then read page 15 of the document called Choosing a Medigap Policy which states in black and white "There can be a big difference is premiums that different insurance companies charge for exactly the same coverage." Now in polite company this would be called taking advantage of consumers. In not so polite company this may be regarded as a rip off.
If you want a deal on your health care coverage, be smart and talk to an agent who has a large pool of companies to work with. That way you can be assured of getting a decent price for your premiums.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cantu
Monday, November 3, 2008
Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage Plans may be an advantage to some people, depending on their requirements. For others, however, there is no advantage to them at all; in fact, they are oft heard to be called major pains in the - pocketbook. Texas health insurance agents can tell you this information if you ask.
So let's talk finances for a bit. There are people looking to be totally covered, not having to pay a dime when they need services. Then there are others who can afford to pay the 20% difference between what the doctor charges and the insurance company pays (the other 80%). Each group has its own wants and needs, but how each group is actually serviced is another matter entirely.
For instance, let's say you are in one smaller network and have a doctor that you really like. Things are going well for about a year or so and then the doctor decides s/he wants to opt out of the network. Great, this leaves you stuck unless you try and follow your doctor. Good luck on that one.
Following your doctor involves finding out if s/he will take other Medicare plans/ supplements or not. In the alternative, you may see the doctor and pay full freight to do so. If your doctor makes the decision to go the fee for service route, you might find out s/he refuses to accept the terms of the plan. That means you pay the bill.
What's going on here is that coverage options are so confusing it's difficult to get straight answers. With the Medicare Advantage Plans their coverage is fairly black and white - what you see is what you get (mostly). If you choose to go with private health insurance you might think you're covered. Wrong, as the insurance company may say they don't have to cover your particular case. This is a little like playing Russian roulette.
To get Medicare Advantage or not to get the advantage and go private are haunting questions that are usually only resolved when you've had personal experience either way. The bottom line is, for coverage that makes the most sense Medicare supplements are the better route.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cantu
So let's talk finances for a bit. There are people looking to be totally covered, not having to pay a dime when they need services. Then there are others who can afford to pay the 20% difference between what the doctor charges and the insurance company pays (the other 80%). Each group has its own wants and needs, but how each group is actually serviced is another matter entirely.
For instance, let's say you are in one smaller network and have a doctor that you really like. Things are going well for about a year or so and then the doctor decides s/he wants to opt out of the network. Great, this leaves you stuck unless you try and follow your doctor. Good luck on that one.
Following your doctor involves finding out if s/he will take other Medicare plans/ supplements or not. In the alternative, you may see the doctor and pay full freight to do so. If your doctor makes the decision to go the fee for service route, you might find out s/he refuses to accept the terms of the plan. That means you pay the bill.
What's going on here is that coverage options are so confusing it's difficult to get straight answers. With the Medicare Advantage Plans their coverage is fairly black and white - what you see is what you get (mostly). If you choose to go with private health insurance you might think you're covered. Wrong, as the insurance company may say they don't have to cover your particular case. This is a little like playing Russian roulette.
To get Medicare Advantage or not to get the advantage and go private are haunting questions that are usually only resolved when you've had personal experience either way. The bottom line is, for coverage that makes the most sense Medicare supplements are the better route.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cantu
A Couple of Things
A couple of things happened today that I thought I would like to share with you. All elements of your practice can learn from these experiences; the front office, nursing staff, medical billing staff, management, cleaning personnel.
The first involves the use of illicit substances. An employee in a local school system cafeteria burned her hand. On the surface a simple matter to be sure, but once she presented at the medical office for care, the board agreed to accept her as a worker's compensation case and shortly after that conversation the practice phone rang again. This time the board requested a drug test. The patient was advised and consented to the test. Now remember, this is now a worker's comp case and the patient in accepting that status does not maintain the right to privacy with respect to this or any future visit regarding this injury. Once the report on the drug test came back the patient now wants that information to be held back because it is damaging. Most boards of education are dependent on state and federal money to pay the bills and along with that money comes certain strings; one being the safe and drug free schools program. The likelihood is that a job will be lost, could be some criminal consequences. What do you think?
The second thing that happened today involves a practice that we have helped for many years. The front office employee left the practice in a lurch. But that is not half of the problem. She left with the front office copy of the protocols and in that copy were most of the current log ons and passwords for the various insurance companies they serve. That in itself was bad enough except that just before leaving, she took the liberty of setting herself up as the administrator on the accounts and changed all of the passwords. The provider was in a panic because they are in the habit of verifying all insurance companies and most of those they are doing on-line. I assured him that we would get on top of it for him and that in the interim we could use our log ons and/or we could use the phones to get insurance verification information for him. This is a task that is usually performed in the provider office, but it is just one more little thing that we bring to the table in medical billing. For no extra charge we are happy to cover that base on a short term basis and in the meantime re-establish all of the log ons and passwords the ensure HIPAA compliance. By close of business we had managed to get all of the log ons and passwords changed with the exception of two and the proper paperwork on those two were being mailed so they could be changed. The provider was ecstatic at the promptness of the actions and my staff is to be commended for going above and beyond. Also, the staff member doing the work had arranged to take the day off tomorrow, but has now volunteered to come in just to be available should this practice need our assistance.
Now how do both of these tie into your practice? Both deal with the legal liabilities of the practice. Before these matters appear, you need to establish the proper protocols to handle each of these occurrences and to ensure that you are not plagued by a staff that presents with either or both of the issues above.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nat_Wynn
The first involves the use of illicit substances. An employee in a local school system cafeteria burned her hand. On the surface a simple matter to be sure, but once she presented at the medical office for care, the board agreed to accept her as a worker's compensation case and shortly after that conversation the practice phone rang again. This time the board requested a drug test. The patient was advised and consented to the test. Now remember, this is now a worker's comp case and the patient in accepting that status does not maintain the right to privacy with respect to this or any future visit regarding this injury. Once the report on the drug test came back the patient now wants that information to be held back because it is damaging. Most boards of education are dependent on state and federal money to pay the bills and along with that money comes certain strings; one being the safe and drug free schools program. The likelihood is that a job will be lost, could be some criminal consequences. What do you think?
The second thing that happened today involves a practice that we have helped for many years. The front office employee left the practice in a lurch. But that is not half of the problem. She left with the front office copy of the protocols and in that copy were most of the current log ons and passwords for the various insurance companies they serve. That in itself was bad enough except that just before leaving, she took the liberty of setting herself up as the administrator on the accounts and changed all of the passwords. The provider was in a panic because they are in the habit of verifying all insurance companies and most of those they are doing on-line. I assured him that we would get on top of it for him and that in the interim we could use our log ons and/or we could use the phones to get insurance verification information for him. This is a task that is usually performed in the provider office, but it is just one more little thing that we bring to the table in medical billing. For no extra charge we are happy to cover that base on a short term basis and in the meantime re-establish all of the log ons and passwords the ensure HIPAA compliance. By close of business we had managed to get all of the log ons and passwords changed with the exception of two and the proper paperwork on those two were being mailed so they could be changed. The provider was ecstatic at the promptness of the actions and my staff is to be commended for going above and beyond. Also, the staff member doing the work had arranged to take the day off tomorrow, but has now volunteered to come in just to be available should this practice need our assistance.
Now how do both of these tie into your practice? Both deal with the legal liabilities of the practice. Before these matters appear, you need to establish the proper protocols to handle each of these occurrences and to ensure that you are not plagued by a staff that presents with either or both of the issues above.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nat_Wynn
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Future of Technology - Software As a Service
Software as a Service: The Future of Technology Arguably one of the most important inventions of the twentieth century, the Internet has revolutionized the way we live. From communicating with friends to transacting business, shopping and paying bills, the Internet impacts almost every aspect of our lives. Yet the benefits of this massive shift are still being realized in the field of business software applications as the technology behind them evolves. Client servers vs. remote computing Put at its simplest, business software applications have at least two "tiers" - the client tier (the part that the end user sees), and the rest of the system, which consists of the hardware and software that supports it and makes it work. Until relatively recently, users have had to pay for and support both tiers, by housing and maintaining the "back end" of the system in order to use the front end. Intuitively this makes as little sense as buying a whole switchboard and miles of telephone wires just to be able to make a phone call. Not only would you have all the expense of the equipment, you would also have to pay for an in-house telecommunications specialist. Fortunately for businesses, especially the smaller and mid-sized ones, technology has now developed an alternative - remote computing. Remote computing, also sometimes known as "software as a service" (SaaS), is offered with the idea of providing a service without making the end user pay all the associated costs. To use the telephone analogy again, with this model, hundreds of thousands of customers can have a telephone service cheaply and the telephone company manages all of the hardware apart from the phone on your desk.
What are the benefits of SaaS? First, it is important to note that as with any other product or service, some remote computing models are superior to others. The basic concept of SaaS has a number of advantages over the client-server model, but before you invest in a SaaS application for your business, it is worth checking how many of the bonus criteria your potential provider meets -'y these really indicate dependable and good-quality systems. 1. Less "down time" Server faults are inevitable, whether you are using a client server or a remote server. The difference is the effect this will have upon your ability to use the application. With a client server model, server faults will cause "down time", when the application can't be accessed. With software as a service from a reliable application service provider, you can use the application as normal with minimal down time. This feature is called fault tolerance and it occurs because every component of the back end of the system has another component that can perform the same function if necessary. With a client server model, this kind of functionality is impractical for cost reasons. Ask your SaaS provider: if the system can identify and replace the faulty component automatically. This level of sophistication means that there is no delay between a fault occurring and normal operation being restored, so no down time will be experienced by the user at all.
2. Better disaster management
One of the greatest advantages of SaaS is that in the event of a disaster befalling your office, your data is safe. No foolishly-placed cup of coffee, fire or tornado will cause you to lose your data,. By contrast, if you have your data on a server in your office you are at the mercy of any disaster that impacts your server. . Ask your SaaS provider: if they have replicated computing centers at geographically distributed locations. This means that even if a disaster impacts the computer center where your data is held, nothing is lost. 3. Access from anywhere Unlike client server models, remote computing allows users to access the application from anywhere with an Internet connection. Whether you are at the office, at home or on the road, you can access your data and get your work done. Client server models generally restrict access to particular workstations that are connected to the network on location. Ask your SaaS provider: what provisions they make for PDAs. Being able to access the application from your handheld device can be very convenient!
Internet-based versus browser-based software. A common misconception is that the Internet and the World Wide Web are interchangeable terms. In fact, they are different but related. The Web is a collection of interconnected documents and other files. The Internet, on the other hand, is a series of interconnected networks through which data can flow. Essentially, the Internet is the highway and Web files are just one type of data-rich vehicle capable of traveling along it. A Web browser, whether it is Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari, is a software application that allows users to view these Web files. The distinction between Internet-based and browser-based is far from pedantic. SaaS can be either, but a truly Internet-based application has fewer limitations than a browser-based application for the following reasons: 1. Security from hackers Applications that rely on browsers can only transmit data in a way that browsers will understand. That means that even if the data is encrypted, it can (with some effort) be unencrypted and the data pieced back together and read. This is disastrous if the data is of a sensitive or private nature. If your application is Internet-based without relying on a browser, the application can transmit data in any way it chooses, as no other application has to be able to interpret it. If someone hacks in and intercepts and unencrypts your data as it is being transmitted across the Internet, they will just see tiny pieces of unintelligible data. Security-wise, it is similar to the difference between tearing your bank statements in half and cross-shredding them. 2. Security from viruses
Internet-based applications create a private platform between you and your data, unlike the public Web sites that a browser-based application relies on. Truly Internet-based applications therefore are less susceptible to viruses. 3. Faster running The other benefit of the Internet-based application is speed - because it stores a small amount of unique user information on each workstation the first time a user logs in, it subsequently will run similarly to any other program on your desktop, rather than having to get that information from the server each time, as a browser-based application does. Why, then, would application providers choose a browser-based model? Often, it is because they have moved from a client server model to take advantage of the economies of scale of a remote computing model, but rather than re-engineer the architecture of the entire system, which is expensive and requires considerable technological expertise, they have gone halfway, and provided remote servers and a browser-based interface with the application running on a Web site. Not that browsers are all bad; they are, of course, convenient and easy to access, and most SaaS providers provide a way to log in to the application via a Web site. However, the application will launch securely and independently from the browser. Where is the technology headed? Gone are the days when buying software for your business meant purchasing a disk and implementing the application yourself. More and more business application providers are seeing the advantages of software as a service and jumping on the Internet bandwagon. Once you know the questions to ask, you should be able to easily find a business solution that can offer high availability, good performance and security at a fraction of the cost of "client server" competitors. Because of the benefits outlined above, it is probable that the business software landscape will be almost entirely Internet-based within a decade. If you do your research, you can take advantage of this trend sooner rather than later.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Jo_Barton
What are the benefits of SaaS? First, it is important to note that as with any other product or service, some remote computing models are superior to others. The basic concept of SaaS has a number of advantages over the client-server model, but before you invest in a SaaS application for your business, it is worth checking how many of the bonus criteria your potential provider meets -'y these really indicate dependable and good-quality systems. 1. Less "down time" Server faults are inevitable, whether you are using a client server or a remote server. The difference is the effect this will have upon your ability to use the application. With a client server model, server faults will cause "down time", when the application can't be accessed. With software as a service from a reliable application service provider, you can use the application as normal with minimal down time. This feature is called fault tolerance and it occurs because every component of the back end of the system has another component that can perform the same function if necessary. With a client server model, this kind of functionality is impractical for cost reasons. Ask your SaaS provider: if the system can identify and replace the faulty component automatically. This level of sophistication means that there is no delay between a fault occurring and normal operation being restored, so no down time will be experienced by the user at all.
2. Better disaster management
One of the greatest advantages of SaaS is that in the event of a disaster befalling your office, your data is safe. No foolishly-placed cup of coffee, fire or tornado will cause you to lose your data,. By contrast, if you have your data on a server in your office you are at the mercy of any disaster that impacts your server. . Ask your SaaS provider: if they have replicated computing centers at geographically distributed locations. This means that even if a disaster impacts the computer center where your data is held, nothing is lost. 3. Access from anywhere Unlike client server models, remote computing allows users to access the application from anywhere with an Internet connection. Whether you are at the office, at home or on the road, you can access your data and get your work done. Client server models generally restrict access to particular workstations that are connected to the network on location. Ask your SaaS provider: what provisions they make for PDAs. Being able to access the application from your handheld device can be very convenient!
Internet-based versus browser-based software. A common misconception is that the Internet and the World Wide Web are interchangeable terms. In fact, they are different but related. The Web is a collection of interconnected documents and other files. The Internet, on the other hand, is a series of interconnected networks through which data can flow. Essentially, the Internet is the highway and Web files are just one type of data-rich vehicle capable of traveling along it. A Web browser, whether it is Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari, is a software application that allows users to view these Web files. The distinction between Internet-based and browser-based is far from pedantic. SaaS can be either, but a truly Internet-based application has fewer limitations than a browser-based application for the following reasons: 1. Security from hackers Applications that rely on browsers can only transmit data in a way that browsers will understand. That means that even if the data is encrypted, it can (with some effort) be unencrypted and the data pieced back together and read. This is disastrous if the data is of a sensitive or private nature. If your application is Internet-based without relying on a browser, the application can transmit data in any way it chooses, as no other application has to be able to interpret it. If someone hacks in and intercepts and unencrypts your data as it is being transmitted across the Internet, they will just see tiny pieces of unintelligible data. Security-wise, it is similar to the difference between tearing your bank statements in half and cross-shredding them. 2. Security from viruses
Internet-based applications create a private platform between you and your data, unlike the public Web sites that a browser-based application relies on. Truly Internet-based applications therefore are less susceptible to viruses. 3. Faster running The other benefit of the Internet-based application is speed - because it stores a small amount of unique user information on each workstation the first time a user logs in, it subsequently will run similarly to any other program on your desktop, rather than having to get that information from the server each time, as a browser-based application does. Why, then, would application providers choose a browser-based model? Often, it is because they have moved from a client server model to take advantage of the economies of scale of a remote computing model, but rather than re-engineer the architecture of the entire system, which is expensive and requires considerable technological expertise, they have gone halfway, and provided remote servers and a browser-based interface with the application running on a Web site. Not that browsers are all bad; they are, of course, convenient and easy to access, and most SaaS providers provide a way to log in to the application via a Web site. However, the application will launch securely and independently from the browser. Where is the technology headed? Gone are the days when buying software for your business meant purchasing a disk and implementing the application yourself. More and more business application providers are seeing the advantages of software as a service and jumping on the Internet bandwagon. Once you know the questions to ask, you should be able to easily find a business solution that can offer high availability, good performance and security at a fraction of the cost of "client server" competitors. Because of the benefits outlined above, it is probable that the business software landscape will be almost entirely Internet-based within a decade. If you do your research, you can take advantage of this trend sooner rather than later.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Jo_Barton
Alternative Health Care Debate
Many people are pretty polarized on the alternative health care debate. They are either completely for or completely against it. On the one hand, there are people who stand with tradition entirely and are unwilling to compromise. They believe that normal medical health is the highest level that the treatment of diseases has ever reached. They don't believe in any alternative health treatment at all, viewing it as unscientific and probably unhelpful as well.
On the other hand, there are alternative health fanatics. I know some people who will only use holistic health services and nothing else. They won't even take prescription drugs if they believe they can get better with herbs. They believe that science is overrated and that some things can't be measured in numbers.
I always try to avoid either extreme in my own practices. I have had some great success with alternative health, and definitely wouldn't give it up. On the other hand, I think that science is very valuable. Traditional Western medicine has done a lot of great things for us. It has brought us a new understanding of the physical body, excellent drugs and treatment options, incredible scans which allow us to see inside the body, and many other helpful technologies. To throw it all away based on a vague belief in the power of herbs is foolish.
That is why I use both alternative healing and traditional medicine. I think that improving your diet and taking health supplements can do great things for you, and is often a better solution than costly medications with side effects. When you are not treating something severe and acute, you shouldn't put a lot of stress on your body during the treatment. Otherwise the cure can be worse than the illness. Using herbal treatments can remove the need to strain your body by introducing antibiotics and things like that into it.
On the other hand, I like to keep traditional medicine as an option. Sometimes, things get really bad and you just need a pretty strong treatment. You might not want to start with an operation or even prescription medication, but it might come to that in the end. This is why I have always viewed complimentary medicine as the best approach. It allows you to use both Western and Eastern medicine, combining the best of both worlds. After all, the more tools you have, the more options you have for treatment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dominic_Ferrara
On the other hand, there are alternative health fanatics. I know some people who will only use holistic health services and nothing else. They won't even take prescription drugs if they believe they can get better with herbs. They believe that science is overrated and that some things can't be measured in numbers.
I always try to avoid either extreme in my own practices. I have had some great success with alternative health, and definitely wouldn't give it up. On the other hand, I think that science is very valuable. Traditional Western medicine has done a lot of great things for us. It has brought us a new understanding of the physical body, excellent drugs and treatment options, incredible scans which allow us to see inside the body, and many other helpful technologies. To throw it all away based on a vague belief in the power of herbs is foolish.
That is why I use both alternative healing and traditional medicine. I think that improving your diet and taking health supplements can do great things for you, and is often a better solution than costly medications with side effects. When you are not treating something severe and acute, you shouldn't put a lot of stress on your body during the treatment. Otherwise the cure can be worse than the illness. Using herbal treatments can remove the need to strain your body by introducing antibiotics and things like that into it.
On the other hand, I like to keep traditional medicine as an option. Sometimes, things get really bad and you just need a pretty strong treatment. You might not want to start with an operation or even prescription medication, but it might come to that in the end. This is why I have always viewed complimentary medicine as the best approach. It allows you to use both Western and Eastern medicine, combining the best of both worlds. After all, the more tools you have, the more options you have for treatment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dominic_Ferrara
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What Social Security Benefits Are Available?
Types of Social Security Disability Benefits
The Social Security Administration has established a number of different types of disability programs. Although the medical rules are similar under each program, the technical rules on eligibility set each program apart. What program you may be eligible for depends on a number of factors, including your work history, age, household income and marital status. You may be eligible for more than one type of benefits, but generally SSA will pay you the higher benefit amount of any one program you may be entitled to.
Disability Insurance Benefits: This program, also known as "DIB" or Title II benefits, awards benefits to individuals who, because of a physical or mental impairment, are unable to work at a "substantial" gainful level, and their condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period. By "substantial," SSA means the claimant would be unable to earn over $900.00 per month because of their disability. This dollar amount increases slightly every year. To be eligible for DIB, a claimant must have worked long enough and paid enough into Social Security through their FICA taxes to be "insured." As a general rule, if a claimant worked at least five of the last 10 years, he would be "insured" for purposes of DIB. How much a claimant receives each month if found disabled and entitled to DIB is based on how much he "paid into" the system during his working life. Generally, the longer someone has worked and the higher his earnings, the more he would be paid if found disabled. Individuals found disabled and entitled to DIB benefits may be awarded retroactive benefits. Retroactive benefits can only go back one year from the date of the initial application. There is a five-month waiting period from the date the claimant is determined to be disabled until entitlement to DIB benefits begin. To illustrate this, if a claimant files a claim for DIB on January 1, 2006 alleging disability as of February 2005, and SSA determines he is disabled and his disability began February 1, 2005, he would be eligible for retroactive benefits starting in July 2005. In addition to receiving individual DIB benefits, your minor children may also qualify for auxiliary benefits based on your disability. These benefits are granted in addition to any benefit you receive. To ensure any minor children are awarded any benefits they may be entitled to, it is important you furnish the names and Social Security numbers of any minor children you have to SSA. The children do not have to live in the same household to be eligible for auxiliary benefits.
Supplemental Security Income: This program, also known as SSI or Title 16 benefits, is a "needs-based" program in which individuals with little or no resources or assets may receive disability benefits. The medical criteria for SSI eligibility is the same as that used for DIB - a physical or mental impairment which prevents you from working at a "substantial" gainful level, and the condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period. Effective January 2007 the SSI payment for an eligible individual is $623 per month and $934 per month for an eligible couple. There is no retroactive eligibility for SSI benefits: benefits can go back only to the month in which your claim was filed. Unlike DIB, there is no five-month waiting period for entitlement to SSI, so your eligibility would begin the month in which you filed your claim or were determined to be disabled, whichever is later. A claim for SSI benefits can also be filed on behalf of any minor children with a disability; however, as with Adult SSI claims, to be entitled to SSI benefits the household income must be below certain limits.
Disabled Adult Child: This program provides disability benefits to adult children of deceased or disabled parents. In addition to the medical requirement that you have a physical or mental impairment which prevents you from working at a "substantial" gainful level, and the condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period, you must also show that your condition has existed and has been disabling since before your 22nd birth date. In addition, you must be the adult child of a parent who is currently receiving DIB benefits, or the Adult child of a parent who is deceased and was "insured" for purposes of eligibility for DIB benefits. It is not necessary that the adult child ever worked because benefits are paid on the parent's earnings record. The adult child must not have worked and earned "substantial earnings" for an extended period at any point after turning 22; however, certain expenses the adult child incurs in order to work may be excluded from these earnings. An adult child already receiving SSI benefits should check to see if benefits may be payable on a parent's earnings record. Higher benefits might be payable and entitlement to Medicare may be possible.
Disabled Widow's/Widower's Benefits: If you are a disabled widow or widower age 50 or older you may be able to receive benefits off your spouse's (or former spouse's) Social Security record. If you are a widow or widower from a spouse you were divorced from, to be eligible for benefits you need to have been married to your spouse for 10 years or longer and your disability must have started before age 60 and within seven years of the date in which the worker died. If you were married to your spouse when they passed away, Social Security does not require that you were married for 10 years. In either case, you will need to provide proof of relationship in the form of your marriage certificate or divorce decree, along with your spouse's death certificate when you file for benefits. If you file a claim for Disabled Widows/Widower's benefits and DIB or SSI benefits, you will receive only the higher monthly benefit amount of the two programs.
Medical Insurance: Once you are found disabled and entitled to Social Security disability benefits, you will also be eligible for medical insurance though Medicare or Medicaid. If you filed a claim for DIB, Disabled Adult Child or Disabled Widow's/Widower's benefits, you may be eligible for Medicare. However, eligibility for Medicare does not start until you have been disabled for 25 months. If you are approved for Social Security benefits under any of the above-listed programs, SSA will contact you approximately two months before your eligibility for Medicare begins. If you have already been disabled for 25 months, be sure to keep a record of all medical bills as you may be reimbursed by Medicare for these expenses. There is no waiting period for Medicaid; however, your income and resources must be very low to qualify. If you have applied for and have been approved for SSI you probably qualify for Medicaid. You may think that Medicaid and Medicare are the same, but actually they are two different programs. Medicaid is a state-run program that provides hospital and medical coverage for people with low income and little or no resources. Each state has its own rules about who is eligible and what is covered under Medicaid. Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information about the Medicaid program, contact Social Security or your local social services or welfare office.
This article has been written to give you a general overview of the Social Security disability programs and the disability process. As this article may not address all questions you might have, please contact us for further information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Greeman
The Social Security Administration has established a number of different types of disability programs. Although the medical rules are similar under each program, the technical rules on eligibility set each program apart. What program you may be eligible for depends on a number of factors, including your work history, age, household income and marital status. You may be eligible for more than one type of benefits, but generally SSA will pay you the higher benefit amount of any one program you may be entitled to.
Disability Insurance Benefits: This program, also known as "DIB" or Title II benefits, awards benefits to individuals who, because of a physical or mental impairment, are unable to work at a "substantial" gainful level, and their condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period. By "substantial," SSA means the claimant would be unable to earn over $900.00 per month because of their disability. This dollar amount increases slightly every year. To be eligible for DIB, a claimant must have worked long enough and paid enough into Social Security through their FICA taxes to be "insured." As a general rule, if a claimant worked at least five of the last 10 years, he would be "insured" for purposes of DIB. How much a claimant receives each month if found disabled and entitled to DIB is based on how much he "paid into" the system during his working life. Generally, the longer someone has worked and the higher his earnings, the more he would be paid if found disabled. Individuals found disabled and entitled to DIB benefits may be awarded retroactive benefits. Retroactive benefits can only go back one year from the date of the initial application. There is a five-month waiting period from the date the claimant is determined to be disabled until entitlement to DIB benefits begin. To illustrate this, if a claimant files a claim for DIB on January 1, 2006 alleging disability as of February 2005, and SSA determines he is disabled and his disability began February 1, 2005, he would be eligible for retroactive benefits starting in July 2005. In addition to receiving individual DIB benefits, your minor children may also qualify for auxiliary benefits based on your disability. These benefits are granted in addition to any benefit you receive. To ensure any minor children are awarded any benefits they may be entitled to, it is important you furnish the names and Social Security numbers of any minor children you have to SSA. The children do not have to live in the same household to be eligible for auxiliary benefits.
Supplemental Security Income: This program, also known as SSI or Title 16 benefits, is a "needs-based" program in which individuals with little or no resources or assets may receive disability benefits. The medical criteria for SSI eligibility is the same as that used for DIB - a physical or mental impairment which prevents you from working at a "substantial" gainful level, and the condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period. Effective January 2007 the SSI payment for an eligible individual is $623 per month and $934 per month for an eligible couple. There is no retroactive eligibility for SSI benefits: benefits can go back only to the month in which your claim was filed. Unlike DIB, there is no five-month waiting period for entitlement to SSI, so your eligibility would begin the month in which you filed your claim or were determined to be disabled, whichever is later. A claim for SSI benefits can also be filed on behalf of any minor children with a disability; however, as with Adult SSI claims, to be entitled to SSI benefits the household income must be below certain limits.
Disabled Adult Child: This program provides disability benefits to adult children of deceased or disabled parents. In addition to the medical requirement that you have a physical or mental impairment which prevents you from working at a "substantial" gainful level, and the condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period, you must also show that your condition has existed and has been disabling since before your 22nd birth date. In addition, you must be the adult child of a parent who is currently receiving DIB benefits, or the Adult child of a parent who is deceased and was "insured" for purposes of eligibility for DIB benefits. It is not necessary that the adult child ever worked because benefits are paid on the parent's earnings record. The adult child must not have worked and earned "substantial earnings" for an extended period at any point after turning 22; however, certain expenses the adult child incurs in order to work may be excluded from these earnings. An adult child already receiving SSI benefits should check to see if benefits may be payable on a parent's earnings record. Higher benefits might be payable and entitlement to Medicare may be possible.
Disabled Widow's/Widower's Benefits: If you are a disabled widow or widower age 50 or older you may be able to receive benefits off your spouse's (or former spouse's) Social Security record. If you are a widow or widower from a spouse you were divorced from, to be eligible for benefits you need to have been married to your spouse for 10 years or longer and your disability must have started before age 60 and within seven years of the date in which the worker died. If you were married to your spouse when they passed away, Social Security does not require that you were married for 10 years. In either case, you will need to provide proof of relationship in the form of your marriage certificate or divorce decree, along with your spouse's death certificate when you file for benefits. If you file a claim for Disabled Widows/Widower's benefits and DIB or SSI benefits, you will receive only the higher monthly benefit amount of the two programs.
Medical Insurance: Once you are found disabled and entitled to Social Security disability benefits, you will also be eligible for medical insurance though Medicare or Medicaid. If you filed a claim for DIB, Disabled Adult Child or Disabled Widow's/Widower's benefits, you may be eligible for Medicare. However, eligibility for Medicare does not start until you have been disabled for 25 months. If you are approved for Social Security benefits under any of the above-listed programs, SSA will contact you approximately two months before your eligibility for Medicare begins. If you have already been disabled for 25 months, be sure to keep a record of all medical bills as you may be reimbursed by Medicare for these expenses. There is no waiting period for Medicaid; however, your income and resources must be very low to qualify. If you have applied for and have been approved for SSI you probably qualify for Medicaid. You may think that Medicaid and Medicare are the same, but actually they are two different programs. Medicaid is a state-run program that provides hospital and medical coverage for people with low income and little or no resources. Each state has its own rules about who is eligible and what is covered under Medicaid. Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information about the Medicaid program, contact Social Security or your local social services or welfare office.
This article has been written to give you a general overview of the Social Security disability programs and the disability process. As this article may not address all questions you might have, please contact us for further information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Greeman
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