Working on Dialysis w/ Medicaid

[StormCl0ud]

Does anyone currently on dialysis work full or part time? I would like to know your experience. Also, if there is anyone working on dialysis who has Medicaid, I would like to know how you're able to work and keep your insurance. The insurance question is very important. I've recently graduated from university, and it's been near impossible to see a world where I'm allowed to work and keep my insurance which covers significant medical expenses related to ESRD and dialysis. All private alternatives that provide a similar level of coverage are prohibitively expensive. So much so that the value proposition of employment becomes unviable.

[bumblebee_tuna]

I work full time from home - I don't have Medicaid, I use my workplace insurance.

You are looking at jobs that don't provide health insurance?

[OperationKidney]

Hi there,

I'm no longer on dialysis, but when I was I had Medicaid. I worked part-time at a local high school as a nurse aide and did peritoneal dialysis. The job was 5 days a week but only for four hours in the afternoons, and we had all the school holidays, snow days, and teacher work days off. Obviously, the ability to work also depends heabily on how you feel, what jobs are available, and other income forms you might have. By the way, if you weren't aware of this, dialysis patients qualify for SSDI so you might want to check into that as well.

I hope that information helps. If you ever want to talk to someone close to your age please don't heistate to message me. 🙂 Best wishes!

[Erifre]

Hi StormCI0oud!, my husband has been on PD for 3 years. He has been working full time. We recently got Medicare. We were told that after a period of 3 years, Medicare covers the cost of your dialysis treatment (80%) and your employment insurance covers the rest of your medical expenses. At the beginning is kind of overwhelming all the information, but you can talk to your social worker at the dialysis clinic and he/she can help you with the process.

Regarding the treatment, any dialysis patient has his/her good days and bad ones. What helps you is to keep your mind busy working and having some kind of time for healing, like meditation, or a hobby so you can compensate the stress of all what you go through daily. At first it is scary, but you learn to get this new lifestyle. It takes a lot of discipline, but it is doable. You can find support groups, chats or forums like this one, we are all here for you. You will get there, be patient and always remember that your love for life is what will make you keep going, that’s why you are now trying PD, you can make it. My husband wakes up at 5 am and goes to work full time. He goes back home at 6:30pm to start his 9 hour PD at 7:45-8:00pm. He has not miss a single day. I have been helping him (connecting and disconnecting from the cycler since day one). Don’t give up, having the opportunity of being a candidate for PD helps you to get your treatment while you sleep and with the right medication, a healthy diet and your Nephrologist checkups you will feel the difference. Keep trying and if I can help with any tips, let me know, I will be more than happy to help!

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

In my first 8 years of Home hemodialysis I worked 32-40 hours per week as a cashier, customer service associate. It was fairly labor intensive. I was able to get Medicare after 3 months, then acquired work insurance. After 3 years Medicare became primary and work insurance was secondary. I miss working but I've done loads of volunteer work. Been on dialysis going into my 22nd year, home hemodialysis. Blessings

[checkman]

Dear Stormcloud, it seems as though you have done no research on your own about the facts of working and Medicaid (just an assumption on my part gained from your question). Everything is well explained on the Medicaid website and there are many, many articles on this subject you can read and gain very good knowledge and become your own advocate. These are questions for a social worker IF they know what they're talking about. I have found that the vast majority of dialysis center social workers do not give patients nearly enough information that a patient should know, unfortunately. I have had to do ALL the research myself to find out about how Medicare and ERSD work (I'm on Medicare obviously). I have read the information on the Medicare site AND the Social Security site along with MANY articles to answer the questions I have had and have become my own advocate. I am on SSDI. I have been on PD/hemo for 13 years. There are WAY too many rules/qualifications for Medicaid/Medicare/SSDI for anyone to answer your questions on this website. I strongly urge you to read, read, read to gain the facts you need to know. You have A LOT of research to do. All the best to you.

[renegade70 in reply to checkman]

I think you are forgetting that many people at the point of dialysis are suffering from many other issues ranging from feeling physically ill, anxious, brain fog, etc., etc. Reading confusing governmental information may be just overwhelming. The best approach is to make an appt. with social security and speak with someone with patience who has a background and knowledge of SSDI. Yes, it is important to be your own advocate. I commend you for that however not every CKD patient is at that point. you really need to meet people where they are.

[checkman in reply to renegade70]

bubbles, thank you. I TOTALLY get what you are saying. I have felt everything you speak of and much, much more. But, there are still plenty of good days when I get things accomplished. One thing I have found is reading some of the many articles that are written that are very easy to read and certainly not like reading a govt. website. Although I will say that it is not as confusing as some people think on these govt websites, I was surprised. They provide lots downloadable pdf files that explain rules/regulations/qualifications well and are quite easy to understand. All just suggestions.....

[renegade70 in reply to checkman]

I have not had to face dialysis. I'm still in stage 3 but I can empathize with anyone that has to face this diagnosis. I have looked into this very possible situation. I am 70 yrs old and have medicare and a medicare advantage plan. But I often wonder what I would have done if I had been diagnosed before retirement age. Hopefully, I will not have to face the financial problems that younger folks have to face if the time comes. I have also researched the issues surrounding the dialysis process as far as looking at the centers closest to me. I want to be as prepared as possible at this point while keeping in mind that the life expectancy after 70 on dialysis is not great. So there is a lot to digest. I guess you just have to do all you can but we all deal with matters in a different way. My very best to you.

[LeesKees_NJ]

Hi - I am on dialysis and still work full-time. I have my primary insurance, Aetna through work and I have taken on Medicare part A&B as my secondary insurance.

Aetna has to continue to to insure me for 30 months from ESRD diagnosis by law. They can drop me after that and Medicare will then become my primary insurance.

Having Aetna alone was killing me with co-pays and co-insurance payments, which is the reason I applied for Medicare to supplement those leftover balances due. The monthly premium of my Medicare is less than the cost of what was not covered by Aetna. So this is working out fine for now. Once Aetna drops me I will needs to take on an additional policy, like Medigap, through Medicare to cover the extra coats I will incur.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to share what I know.

[RonZone]

I would think the first question to ask would be whether you want Medicaid or Medicare. Using the combo of Medicare and work insurance seems to be the most common combination. I'm over 65 so was already on Medicare (part A and B) when I was diagnosed, AND I had work provide insurance at that time. But once I started PD, I went to part time, so I had to switch to a BlueCross Blue Shield plan to cover what Medicare didn't cover, plus a Part D prescription plan (also through BCBS). I pay about $150 per month for Medicare part B and $152 for BCBS Prescription plan and $210 for BCBS supplemental plan. So a bit over $500 per month. It covers everything but my co-pays on medicine plus the $250 deductible for Medicare part B each January.

I'm not sure you can even work and get Medicaid, unless you income is under the max amount that Medicaid allows (like $23,000?) And if you ever made more than that, they would kick you off it. So a combination of work insurance and Medicare might be a better option.

You are young, and all this insurance stuff along with PD is very scary. Like one poster said above, you will need to do a good bit of research. Keep a notebook with a page for each option you are looking at. Put down full details about each option so you can see what they look like in $ and cents in black and white. Don't leave anything out. I know, it's a pain in the ass, but it's just want you will need to do if you don't have a responsible parent or other adult to help you wade through all of this. We'll help as much as we can, but at the end of the day, it's totally your decision. Don't feel like any question is stupid. Ask anything and the folks on here will help as much as possible. Others have been through this and ask these same questions I'm sure and will chime in when they see your post. Till then, follow the above suggestions. See the social worker at the dialysis center. Talk with the folks at social security, read articles about Medicare, Medicaid requirements so you have all of it written down in your notebook for comparison so you can make an educated decision. Having just finished college, you should know how to do this notebook thing

Take care and keep asking questions! And if you want info on PD, I'll be more than happy to give you a ton of info about that. Others can give you info on Home Hemo. Those two would be better options if you really want to work, which I hope you do to put that hard earned education to good use! Working and home dialysis are very compatible, though there are tricks of the trade that you will need to know about going into it.