The Affordable Care Act has brought about some positive changes to the health care system, including giving more people access to health insurance, expansion of Medicaid coverage, and providing free or low cost health insurance to many Americans through their state. In terms of mental health care coverage, though, there are still challenges many Americans face.
Back yourself up with disability insurance
Most Americans don’t think twice about insuring our vehicles, homes, health and life, but for many of us, purchasing disability insurance may cause hesitation. This can be a particular problem for young people who feel they have no significant risk of disability and plenty of energy to bounce back quickly when they do get injured. The truth, though, is that research shows Americans in their 20s are more likely to be injured before retirement than to die.
Social Security halts overpayment collections to evaluate program's fairness
Two senators named Barbara are reportedly responsible for prompting the Social Security Administration to put on hold a program designed to recoup Social Security overpayments. The program, which is authorized under a 2008 change to federal law, allows the agency to collect debts that are over 10 years old. While the program has helped the agency gain back some losses, it has also unfairly put some Americans in a difficult financial situation.
Will I lose my SSDI benefits if I return to work?
More and more workers are reportedly dropping out of the labor force and stopping their job searches. This trend, obviously concerning because it can will weaken the economy in the long-term, has been taking place in every state. Unfortunately, there are no signs that things will change anytime soon, and experts expect the trend to carry on through at least 2016.
Budget deal based on misunderstanding of SSDI program
Disability advocates have a fairly keen eye when it comes to gauging public understanding of the Social Security disability program. Unfortunately, journalists covering the topic are not always well informed in their presentation of the program’s challenges and purpose. Given that bias is not uncommon in journalism, this is understandable.
