Would a Medicare Suspension Affect My SSDI Benefits?

 Posted on January 29, 2025 in Social Security Disability

In order to get and keep your SSDI benefits, you must follow your prescribed treatment plan. If there is a course of treatment that might restore your ability to work even part-time, you are required to comply with the treatment plan. This rule is to prevent people with perfectly treatable medical conditions from collecting SSDI instead of getting the treatment and returning to the workforce. Earlier this week, there were fears that Medicaid and Medicare benefits would be temporarily frozen. It is reasonable to have concerns about whether losing access to treatment, even for a short amount of time, might impact your SSDI benefits. Fortunately, being unable to afford treatment is not treated as a refusal to follow your prescribed treatment plan. You should consult a well-qualified Dallas, TX SSDI benefits attorney if you are concerned about how the refusal to follow treatment rule might affect your benefits.

Losing Access to Treatment is Not Refusing Treatment 

The rule is that if you refuse to follow your treatment plan, you are disqualified from receiving SSDI benefits. If you lose access to treatment, you are not refusing to follow your treatment plan. The Social Security Administration has long recognized that some people cannot afford the treatment that would be most likely to restore their ability to work. SSDI applicants are not typically expected to pay out of pocket for medical care if they do not have health insurance that will cover the treatment their doctors recommend. These costs would be prohibitive for a large majority of people who are applying for SSDI.

Refusing Treatment For Good Cause 

SSDI applicants are not expected to undergo treatment in certain circumstances. You may be allowed to refuse treatment and still receive SSDI benefits if you: 

• Have religious objections - If your religion prohibits you from undergoing a certain course of treatment, you are not expected to act against your beliefs. 
• Would be at risk of serious complications - If the proposed treatment carries significant risk to your life or health, you can generally refuse it and still qualify for SSDI. 
• Have received conflicting medical opinions - If you have had different doctors give you contradictory opinions and propose very different courses of treatment, you can choose which type of treatment you want and refuse the others. 

Contact a Dallas, TX SSDI Attorney 

The Law Offices of Coats & Todd is committed to helping people with disabilities secure SSDI benefits while maintaining their right to make choices about their own health care. Our experienced Collin County, TX SSDI lawyers will work to ensure that you do not lose your benefits due to a loss of access to care or a refusal for good cause. Contact us at 972-671-9922 for a complimentary consultation.