Persons with
disabilities who are
pursuing employment
may be apprehensive
about losing health
care coverage when
they work. There
are several work
incentives and
supports that are
available to
individuals with
disabilities that
pertain to Medicaid
and Medicare.
Because healthcare
coverage is so
important to
individuals with
disabilities, it is
critical to have
basic information on
federal, state, and
private health
insurance programs
and the various
methods of
establishing or
retaining
eligibility. The
links to the left
provide information
on Medicaid, MED
Works (Indiana’s
Medicaid Buy-In work
incentive) and
Medicare programs.
Other Insurance
Information
When you are
working, always
check with your
employer about
fringe benefits,
including if health
insurance is
offered. It is
always a good idea
to ensure you have
the opportunity to
participate in
private health
insurance plans when
they are available.
A good
employer-sponsored
plan will cover your
doctor’s services,
hospital bills and
prescription drugs
with little or no
deductibles or
co-payments.
Health Insurance
Portability and
Accountability Act
The Kassebaum-Kennedy
Act enacted on
August 21, 1996
provides advantages
for individuals with
disabilities as they
enter the workforce
and seek group
insurance from
employers. Now,
people who have had
previous insurance
such as
Medicaid and
Medicare can get
credit for time
served under the
former health plans.
If your new group
health plan has
limits on coverage
for
pre-existing medical
conditions, they
must give you credit
for any prior health
coverage that you
had. A pre-existing
medical condition is
defined as a
physical or mental
condition for which
medical advice,
diagnosis, care or
treatment is
recommended or
received prior to a
person’s date of
hire (or the date
your new coverage
began). Health
Insurance
Portability defines
pre-existing medical
conditions and
limits how long
plans may exclude
these conditions
(never more than 12
months).
If you find that you
cannot buy other
health insurance,
the
Indiana
Comprehensive Health
Insurance
Association (ICHIA)
provides insurance
for individuals who
are unable to get
private health
insurance due to a
disability or
medical history. The
premiums for
ICHIA insurance are
expensive, but if
you have no other
forms of health
insurance and can
afford the premiums,
you may want to
investigate this
option. You must
first apply for
other insurance
programs, such as
Medicaid before
you attempt to get
insurance through
ICHIA. For more
information about
health insurance,
contact:
Indiana Department
of Insurance
311 West Washington
Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis ,
Indiana, 46204-2787
317-232-2385
http://www.in.gov/idoi/
Fact Sheet on Health
Insurance
Portability and
Accountability
Medical Privacy -
National Standards
to Protect the
Privacy of Personal
Health Information
Healthcare Reform
Disability.gov
