Make Sure You Get Medical Care and Follow Your Doctor’s Recommendations for Treatment

You have a much better chance of getting Social Security Disability if you are getting medical care because your care is being documented by your doctor and your claim will be evaluated in large part based on what is in your medical records.  If you haven’t received medical treatment in a while, try to arrange to start seeing a doctor regularly.

This is good advice and easier to do if you have some type of healthcare coverage, right?  But what if a person does not have healthcare coverage?  So often I hear from prospective claimants that they have no insurance and that they cannot afford medical care.  There are options out there.  We recommend that people apply for Medicaid, Health Indiana Plan or seek care through a “community or free” clinic.

Medicaid is a jointly funded, Federal-State health insurance program for low-income and needy people. It covers children, the aged, blind, and/or disabled and other people who are eligible to receive federally assisted income maintenance payments.  In Indiana, a person must go and separately apply for Medicaid.  In Indiana, a person can apply for Medicaid at a local FSSA Office for the Division of Family Resources.  You can go to the following website to locate a local office nearest you:  www.in.gov/fssa/dfr/2999.htm .

Another option is getting insurance coverage through the Healthy Indiana Plan, commonly known as HIP.  The Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) will provide health insurance for uninsured adult Hoosiers between 19-64 whose household income is between 22 - 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), who are not eligible for Medicaid. Eligible participants must be uninsured for at least 6 months and cannot be eligible for employer-sponsored health insurance.  You can find out more about HIP at www.in.gov/fssa/hip

If health insurance, Medicaid or Healthy Indiana Plan are not options available to you, then find out whether your community has a “community or free” clinic. 

In the Lafayette area, you have Riggs Community Health Center located at 1716 Hartford Street, Lafayette.  You can call the health center at (765)742-1567  .  You can read more about the Riggs Community Health Center at www.riggshealth.com.

In the South Bend area, the Indiana Health Center/Project Homecoming located at 701 S Main Street, South Bend or call (574)235-7990  .