People with disabilities can work without losing their health care

Acommon theme in assisting clients who are disabled is how to obtain and maintain life-sustaining government benefits.

In addition, one of the core principles of our practice is to help people with disabilities improve and enhance their lives, continually making progress toward a more independent lifestyle.

Unfortunately, the Catch-22 scenario for people with disabilities who can and want to work is that they become productive just enough to have the “rug” pulled out from under them for medical care coverage.

Health care is a hot topic and, for the vast majority of people with disabilities, it’s the No. 1 concern when making decisions about whether or not to work as well as in making various lifestyle choices.

Fortunately, Pennsylvania has a helpful program called Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities.

While many government benefit-based programs strictly limit an applicant’s assets and income, the medical assistance program recognizes the need to give people who want to work a “helping hand.” The idea is to bridge the gap between total reliance on Medicaid benefits and transitioning to earning a respectable income while not threatening vital health care coverage benefits.

Therefore, the income and assets limits are “relaxed” to qualify for Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities. So, what are the rules? • You must be between 16 and 65 years old.

• You must be “disabled” (more on that later) or have a chronic health problem.

• You must be working — as