Yes, Myra Morgan remembers. She remembers the days at work when her PD symptoms started to interfere with her job in Atlanta, Georgia.
"I worked as long a I could," recalls Morgan. "I worked for a year after I turned in my resignation. I changed my mind, and my boss gave my resignation back."
She got to where she could only sleep two hours per night, and her symptoms continued to interrupt her work. "It got to where my walking was affected," Morgan said. "For my job, I had to do a lot of walking, because I was taking papers to other offices."
Data entry and the computer were a large part of her job. "It affected my typing, too," she said. "I got to where I couldn't type well."
Crossing the disability threshold is a challenging experience. First of all, you are battling the physical disability that hampers your life significantly. Second, it is very emotional to concede that you are disabled.
In the United States, the paperwork and application process are cumbersome. When you have satisfied the process, you may receive a monthly check to help you get by. (To read more about applying for disability benefits click on this blog from January.) However, the larger relief may come from your Medicare coverage.
"Medicare has been a lifesaver for me," Morgan said. "The total cost of my prescriptions is a little more than $1,000. With the new drug plan from Medicare I am paying approx $45 per month."
She was a little surprised to find out that she would qualify for Medicare just by qualifying for disability.
If Medicare is a new benefit to you, there are some helpful tips:
- You will be automatically enrolled in Part A, which will generally cover hospital services.
- You will have to enroll in Part B, which will cover many outpatient services and doctor visits.
- You will likely pay premiums for Part B.
- Part B is not mandatory; but, there is a catch. You can choose to wait to enroll in Part B. However, you will pay for the wait, when you finally do enroll for Part B. For every year that you delay Part B enrollment, you will pay a 10% surcharge on you Part B Premium.
Because people with Parkinson's tend to visit physicians regularly, they usually benefit from having coverage under Part B. Those that have insurance coverage through their spouse, a retirement pension, or military benefit will have a tough choice to make.
You have probably heard and read about the new Medicare drug benefit—Medicare Part D. Because prescription drugs are the core of PD therapy, the Medicare drug benefit will likely be able to cut your costs.
If you are anticipating being elible for Medicare coverage in the next few months or years, go to Medicare & You, and download the publication "Medicare & You 2006."