Disability and navigating insurance
I apologize for how long this post is, I’ve tried not to complain and to only include relevant details. I am 26 years old and seriously disabled with a congenital neuromuscular condition. Consequently, for most of my life I’ve been insured through Medical Assistance, MA in Minnesota. I require an extremely expensive power wheelchair for daily living, as well as approximately 3 hours a day of PCA services for bathing, bathrooming, and sleeping. Once I’m dressed and in my wheelchair, I can be self sufficient unless something goes drastically wrong.
Where things get complicated is that I have so far lived a blessed life. I went to and graduated college, where I lived in a dorm. I’ve also finished law school and passed the bar. I’ve been looking for jobs this whole time, and I’m finally starting to have some success, but this puts me in a bad spot.
I’m currently in the running for a position that would be with the federal government in Georgia or Maryland. I would make 76k a year to start out (with substantial increases each year), and have to relocate. As I understand it, this money and change of location would mean that I lost insurance. Now since it is through the federal government, I’ve been under the impression that I would have good insurance options, and early in my life I did get one of my power wheelchairs covered through private/employer insurance. So I view the wheelchair part of my condition as something that theoretically can be solved by normal albeit expensive insurance. But as far as I can tell the only option for PCA services is through Medicaid, which I don’t think I can hold while working as an attorney, and don’t have providers located out of state.
I’ve sort of been doom spiraling about this issue because it feels unsolvable.
On the off chance that anyone reading this is also a professional with a neuromuscular condition, please do not hesitate to PM me instead of replying here if you’d like to share advice or experiences privately.
Thank you for any advice you’re all able to give.
submitted by /u/throwlaw11
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