Disability Terms and Definitions

Continuation of Medicare Coverage (SSDI) You can receive at least 93 consecutive months of hospital and medical insurance after the trial work period. This provision allows health insurance to continue when you go to work and are engaging in SGA. Mental disorder In DSM-III, a mental disorder is conceptualized as a clinically significant behavioral or psychologic syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that typically is associated with either a painful symptom (distress) or impairment in one or more important areas of functioning (disability). Outcome Payment System The system providing a payments under the Ticket to Work program to an employment network for each month, up to a total of 60 months, during which Social Security disability benefits and Federal SSI cash benefits are not payable to a beneficiary because of the performance of substantial gainful activity (SGA) or by reason of earnings from work. ADA Americans with Disabilities Act The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. It also applies to the United States Congress. Partial Conservatorship This type of Conservatorship/Guardianship generally applies to the developmentally disabled and restricts the areas in which the Conservator/Guardian may act on behalf of the individual. Deeming The process by which the income and resources of an ineligible individual are considered to be available to a recipient when determining eligibility or payment amount. Cost-of-living adjustments Each January, your benefits will increase automatically if the cost of living has gone up. For example, if the cost of living has increased by 2 percent, your benefits also will increase by 2 percent. Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) Under an approved PASS, recipients of federal SSI may set aside income and/or resources over a period of time to reach a goal to become financially self supporting. The income and resources set aside may later be used to obtain occupational training or education, purchase occupational equipment, establish a business, etc. Indexing Indexing is designed to provide some protection against inflation. After the first year of disability, a disabled employee's pre-disability earnings are usually increased (or indexed) by a certain percentage on an annual basis. Maximum Benefit Period (Benefit Duration) This is the maximum length of time for which benefits are payable under the plan as long as the employee remains continuously disabled.

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	Did You Know?
	EPSDT stands for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program A program mandated by law as part of the Medicaid program. The law requires that all states have in effect a program for eligible children under age 21 to ascretain their physical or mental defects and to provide such health care treatments and other measures to correct or ameliorate defects and chronic conditions discovered. The state programs also have active outreach components to inform eligible persons of the benefits available to them, to provide screening, and if necessary, to assist in obtaining appropriate treatment.