People who receive disability payments often live on a tight budget. For these individuals, any disruption in payments can lead to significant financial struggles. There usually isn’t room in the budget to save a lot, so being without an income means they might have to do without necessities. On top of that, Medicaid eligibility is usually tied to these payments, which means that if the disability payments cease, medical care coverage will also stop. This can leave them without the care they need to properly manage their health care.
One man in another state is currently fighting to get his disability payments after being falsely reported as being deceased. The situation happened when a man was found severely beaten on the street. There was a massive amount of facial swelling that rendered him unrecognizable. A witness at the scene told police a name for the person, but the last name was incorrect.
Police looked up the name and then ran the man’s face through a facial recognition program. They located a man who had that incorrect last name and notified his family that he was at the hospital. The problem is that he was incorrectly identified, but they didn’t know that.
Sadly, the man passed away. Since he was admitted under an incorrect name, the man who actually had that name was reported as deceased. Later, the deceased man’s correct identity was found out through fingerprinting. Now, the man who was incorrectly reported as deceased is left to try to correct the issues. His disability payments have stopped, and Medicaid is trying to charge him for the deceased man’s medical care.
While this is an unusual case, it shows just how difficult it can sometimes be to deal with disability matters. It is a good idea to have someone on your side who is familiar with the ins and outs of the system, so you can have a good shot at getting things handled in a timely manner and with as little effort as possible.