Hi! My husband is 62 and pretty much disabled but has been turned down for SSI Disability. He is also on Medicaid as he has severe COPD and Thyroid issues. His Medicaid expires 10/17 and may or may not be renewed. He will start collecting regular Social Security of $1054. in May of this year. My question is: he still works 1 day a week. We need to keep the insurance and cannot afford premiums. Can he continue to work 1 day ($120/Day/Gross), get his SS payment and still have Medicaid or does he have to quit his job to maintain a lower income. I am 70 and on SS also but barely make the bills on my money. Just a little desperate here. Would really appreciate your opinion. Thanks so much. God bless.
Mary Anne

Hi Mary Anne,

Your husband may want to reapply for disability benefits, or even appeal his previous disallowance if he is still within the 60-day appeal period (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10041.pdf). His benefit rate could increase by as much as 25% if he's approved. For more information on the rules for disability benefits, refer to Social Security's website: https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityssi/.

I don't know about Medicaid rules, but your husband's current earnings of $480 to $600 per month wouldn't be an issue for either Social Security retirement or disability benefits. He could earn as much as $16,920 this year without losing any of his retirement benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html), and earn an average of up to $1170 per month and still potentially qualify for disability benefits.

Best, Jerry