Give Yourself the Gift of Healthcare
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
Have you finished your holiday shopping? Did you find something special for each person you hold dear? What about for you?
When we focus on giving — of our time and with presents — it’s easy to forget about getting ourselves an important item. We seldom think about our own healthcare coverage during the holidays. This is something Social Security and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aim to change.
Of course, you may be well now, but at one point or another, you’ll need healthcare coverage, if you become ill or have an accident. You may not like to think about it but an illness or disability can happen to you. Being prepared — by having coverage — is a major part of a healthier future. The ACA makes it easy to #GetCovered and to find affordable plans and preventive care.
We serve as a proud ACA education and referral partner. We believe that access to quality healthcare has a positive effect on health outcomes. Some people who apply for Social Security disability benefits may not have access to healthcare, which negatively affects their health and well-being. A good healthcare plan can provide you with the medical care you need, until we make a decision on your disability claim. The good news is you can be considered for healthcare coverage even if you have a pre-existing condition. Please don’t wait! Apply for health coverage now and get the care you need. I encourage you to visit healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 for more information.
Giving selflessly is part of the holiday season. Don’t forget . . . that includes you, too. If you need coverage, give yourself the gift of quality, affordable, healthcare for the holidays, and beyond. ACA Open enrollment ends January 31.
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Tags: Disability
See CommentsAbout the Author
Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security
Acting Commissioner of Social Security (February 14, 2013 - January 20, 2017)
Comments
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EPat
I’m a retired teacher struggling to keep two daughters on my insurance as they continue to pursue their education while working at low wage jobs. My income on paper for one retiree looks good and so I pay the maximum for my Medicare policy. (Thanks SS for not increasing it in 2016) My work-related policy for my girls almost doubled for 2016 and I pay increasing premiums for supplementary Medicare insurance and dental insurance and long-term care premiums as well. Add on auto, home owner and life insurance, it works out that half my monthly income goes to insurance payments. Meanwhile my 30 year old son has no insurance because his low wage job does not provide benefits and he can’t afford policies on the ACA website..
joseph r.
My daughter(age 55) was turned down for disability,and disallowed for Obamacare because of no income.She is elgible for Medicaid,but no providers.Therefore she is enrolled in BLUE at$869.00 monthly.What a deal!!!! I am retired military and receive disability fromVA,and social security.No increase in anything again this year,except the cost of everythingDefinetly looking forward to the next election.
Trisha
If Obamacare is soooooo…. wonderful, why aren’t our governmental body (Congress, President and staff) required to use it? Let them deal with what the rest of our citizens have to deal with!
Sharon
I agree. Why do the Congressmen have their own entitlements! If this is good enough for us why not them?
Robert
They get the insurance because they are special, and exist in a different class than most of the rest us. I say trash Obama Care and give everyone medicare.
Michael B.
President Obama and his family should have Obamacare, pay the premiums AND be required to USE it…no special favors!
Harry R.
Obama is not the cause of every greif, IT is a fuddel regardless the structure of comerance & greed of humans Is the cause it isn’t pleasant to receive the process of the balance in of former years.avoid the hope chatter to cover the their greed base insecurances. Profit won’t be unless that quit signing off of paying social security taxes, as well the write it off crew 3% was given to those of cancer
Pam
I’m guessing the #1 reason people don’t have healthcare insurance is because they cannot afford the monthly premiums. Since they don’t have the money for coverage, they must find a way to pay the penalty – right? How sad is that? The government should feel very proud of itself for finding a way to take addition money from those who are already scraping to put food on the table and those who are unemployed. Why don’t employers have to pay a penalty if they fail to provide coverage to their employees?
azure
Do something about it. Write your Congresspeople, join a group (you may need to do little more then join, sign petitions, etc) that wants to change this system.
It’s Congress that passed the ACA, the prez and Congress that first refused to pass a single payer system years ago (Nixon pushed for a national health care system) and that has kowtowed to the AMA, health insurers, BigPharma (why do you think Medicare can’t negotiate drug prices?), for at least 30 years. Passage of the TPP will make matters, and the position of most Americans (not the upper 5% in income/assets) far worse.
If people continue to blame each other and do nothing, well, BigPharma, BigMed (hospital chains, etc) will continue to lobby successfully.
Shortcake
The employer does have to pay a penalty if they don’t offer coverage if they have 50 or more employees. So the ACA is double dipping in some cases.
Christa A.
I do receive this December 2015 from Medicare, $104.90, every month now. The money from Medicare comes off my Social Security money. I hope that in April 2016 the money from Berlin/Germany comes to Social Security because I was borne and raised and worked in Germany. I will receive their “pension” over $200.00 because their money is now Euro. The money of the “pension” is different every month because of the Euro.
Thank you!
Christa A. Lemons
Charles F.
And all this time I thought my payment in to Social Security was for the payee’s of such. What Happened.
Minnesota Muslims Demand Pork-Free Halal Food From Minnesota Welfare Food Bank
http://toprightnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/somalis.jpg
Above: Somali “refugees” on lifetime welfare demand their free food adhere to Islamic Law
by Jason DeWitt
Whoever said “beggars can’t be choosers” never met Somali Muslim refugees in Minnesota.
These Muslim imports in Minneapolis are now demanding a tax-funded “halal” non-pork food shelfat a free food pantry for the poor.
As if it’s not bad enough that nearly all the “American” Muslims who have joined ISIS have been Somalis from Minneapolis, their relatives here are demanding that Americans adhere to the same Sharia Laws the Islamic State fighters are trying to impose throughout the Middle East.
A group of first-generation Somali Americans says they need help in developing a food shelf that specializes in healthy foods that do not contain pork or pork byproducts. “It’s about human rights also, basic human rights to get the proper food and also healthy food,” said Imam Hassan Mohamud.
“Human rights”? Seriously? Their arrogance and self-entitlement has to be unprecedented for a group on the public dole.
Tens of thousands of Somalis settled in Minneapolis/St. Paul after Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and later Barack Obama imported them and funded massive “refugee” centers there. Welfare, schools, hospitals and social services have been crushed by the burden of immigrants who lack the most basic skills to live in a modern society.
This is hardly the first demands Somalis have made on the good people of Minneapolis. When the influx of Somali thugs naturally resulted in a massive increase in crime a decade ago, Somalis demanded a $48 million Sharia-compliant “youth center” to keep Somali gangs “out of trouble.”
We have read for several years now how Muslim cab drivers in Minneapolis and several airports have kicked out blind passengers with guide dogs (dogs are “unclean” in Islam), or customers transporting alcohol. They came here, taking advantage of American generosity, and returned it by enforcing their own brand of Sharia Law upon us.
Liberals in Minnesota have bent over backwards for them, setting up foot-washing basins in their airport and even at a university, in response to their demands.
But as with most appeasement, these refugees keep making more demands. Now it is for “halal” products (meat slaughtered with Islamic prayers and a ban on pork).
The Imam leading this protest actually claimed that there were beans with pork in it and this was a “literacy” issue that required more government funding andspecial halal-compliant beans. But one commenter on the article from Minneapolis wrote:
As someone who made use of the foodshelf recently, I can tell you that most of the food doesn’t contain pork. I hear what they are saying about a literacy issue, but can’t the food shelf people just point out the cans of pork and beans? Besides, the food shelf is based on donations!
This is not about Muslims “making do” or getting help on what to eat. The Koran demands that Muslim make any country they live in adapt to them and Sharia Law. The last thing they plan to do is assimilate.
One blogger added:
How long until they demand separate entrances to the food pantry for men and women and separate entrances for Muslims who don’t want to see any Christmas or holiday food or decorations?
The state of Maine has also been crushed by Somalis that Obama has forced upon them. The Governor of Maine, Paul LePage has valiantly been trying tocut off cash aid to Somalis – nearly all of whom are on welfare – since Obama has purposely dumped thousands of them in Lewiston and Portland.
America got Black Hawk Down and 18 dead Americans. Somalis got 90,000+ “asylum” slots in America, free housing, Sharia-compliant facilities, and a lifetime of welfare. How do you say “chumps” in Somali?
Each refugee already has access to the following:
Temporary assistance for Needy Families
Medicaid Food Stamps
Supplemental “Security” Income
Social Security Disability Insurance
Administrative Developmental Disabilities (ADD)
Child Care and Development Fund
Independent Living Program
Low Income Housing Energy Assistance
Postsecondary Education Grants
Refugee Assistance Program
Title IV Foster Care
Title XX Social Services Block Grant Fund
And from our lovely State Department…$2200 per month for every man, woman and child.
How much is the SSI check you receive every month……the SSI fund you paid INTO all of your working life?
IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG HERE?????
Paul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce issued the following statement on the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act, H.R. 3762, which passed the House today by a vote of 240-189:
“Obamacare continues to fail the American people. From increasing costs of healthcare for families, limiting patients’ options, and reducing overall employment around the nation – Obamacare is not in the best interest of New Mexican families. Unfortunately, despite the demands of the American people and the continued efforts of the House, the Senate and President have chosen not to act and replace this harmful law.
“So far this year, New Mexicans have been hit with increased penalties, Blue Cross Blue Shield fully exited New Mexico, and the state exchange removed all PPO plans entirely. In short, New Mexicans are facing higher costs, fewer options, and less service. Obamacare continues to betray Americans nationwide, but especially those on fixed incomes — dependent on quality care at an affordable price.
“By no means does this bill end the fight to replace Obamacare, or provide New Mexicans with an affordable and effective healthcare system, but it is a step in the right direction. By voting for this bill today, the House has voted to end the most egregious policies implemented within Obamacare. From the individual and employer mandates, to the ‘Cadillac tax’ – the provisions the House repealed in this bill will instantly help New Mexicans. Relief from these mandates and taxes will provide businesses with the certainty and confidence to grow again, create jobs, and allow families to choose health plans that best fit their needs regardless of coverage or size.”
Collyn
Had Congress REGULATED the health insurance industry, we wouldn’t be having these issues. But your party of NO prevented that, which would have taken care of all of our ACA issues. It isn’t ACA itself, and it surely isn’t Obama. Place the blame where the blame is due.
Dennis W.
The average American person/family is sick and tired of politics ruining our quality of life, turning it into a LACKof quality of life. Your answer is typical of spending energy, resources and time on pointing fingers & blaming each other rather than working towards serving the public interest. You, and those politicians like you, make way more money & gave way more options & benifits than the vast majority of the people you have sworn to serve but fail to do so at every step. It is like you (the collective, not the individual ) have stopped seeing us as people, just rows&clomns on a spread sheet. Let me ask you, how much of an increase in assets did you receive over the past several years? As a disabled veteran, I can tell you that my increase in assets (money, benifits, etc) are limited to COLA increases but my cost continue to go up 5-10 times the COLA. Gas prices may have been somewhat stable but certainly not water, electric, and other utilities. Just recently, the water & electric companies have gotten themselves increases of 14 & 16% to start in 2016. Why? Because the public has done to good conserving water and power use AT THE COMPANIES REQUEST! Now we are penalized because they can’t meet their budget. Yet those senior executives get increased bonus/Benifit packages. I do not begrudge anyone getting what they have EARNED let’s be fair and have the ability to choose for ourselves. Is not America a democratic republic that is Of the PEOPLE, for the PEOPLE and by the PEOPLE? The government is trying socialistic practices by installing this forced healthcare system without individuals voting. Something this big should’ve been voted on by individuals since it impacts almost every individual. I have read some excellent replies from people on both sides of the argument but, as most of us have learned, there are always three sides of each story/argument. Your side, my side, and what actually happened, or in this case, what can be in the best interest of the public. Americans have never liked to be forced into something without having a voice in the matter. I think that is at the crux of most of the distress, along with higher costs and fewer choices. I apologize for the length of my reply but this pointing political fingers every time something comes up is a load of crap. If the two parties (funny I thought we had more) and 3 branches of government can’t play together then we, the PEOPLE, should fire them and hire new people to represent us. If they act like kids, they should be treated as kids!
Robert E.
As an American citizen residing abroad, do I qualify for medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act?
R.F.
Hi Robert, please visit HealthCare.gov for more information.
David B.
Yes, socialized healthcare is so wonderful! I was just told this morning by a parent that her grown son who is visiting her spent six hours straight on the healthcare.gov website trying to get health insurance. He finally gave up after he found the cost. was over $500 per month for a healthy young man. He will now be subject to the penalty. My own insurance almost doubled this year. Can you please explain to me how this is helping our country?
jeff b.
My good health insurance was cancelled by obamacare. I was paying 307 per month. Replacement policy offered for less insurance: 837. Count me in as another without health insurance. Great huh?
azure
That’s not socialized health care. Socialized health care is what Austria, Germany, France, and the UK have. Whether it’s single-payer or another form it’s when everyone has basic health care paid for through taxes.
Not a system of paying for health care where people can still end up filing for “medical bankruptcy” (even if they have Medicare coverage) because of high deductibles, co-pays, and uncovered expenses (like rehab), and where government agencies like Medicare CANNOT negotiate drug prices and HEALTH INSURERS wrote most of the enabling legislation as happened with the ACA.
You want change? Then join one of the groups fighting for single payer.
Harriet W.
single care
LORETTA M.
I need an application to fill out so that I can get some help with the cost of some of my prescription drugs. The MEDICARE. gov relates to the paragraph “No current prescription drug coverage financial help”. also states “you can alpply for Extra Help forExtra Help by filling out and mailing an application to Social Security. I need that application, please.
LORETTA M.
PLEASE SEND ME THE FORMS TO GET SOME HELP WITH MY PRESCRIPTIONS
R.F.
Hi Loretta, you can complete Social Security’s Application for Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020) online. You can also call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to apply over the phone or to request an application or apply at your local Social Security office.
Carol H.
I get extra help ONE dollar a month. Now I get $60 dollars less a month.