How do you travel and keep Supplemental Security Income, Medicade, and address?

[Scorpio64]

I would like to travel the country and have health issues. I am hoping to do this with a friend. Just don't know how to do it and keep my income and insurance. Plus I h ave to be able to receive mail.

 

[ichiban]

I would like to travel the country and have health issues. I am hoping to do this with a friend. Just don't know how to do it and keep my income and insurance. Plus I h ave to be able to receive mail.

Mail forwarding services.  I do not know about SSI but South Dakota, Nevada, Texas, and Florida seem to be the best states to reside in if u wish to travel full time.  Mail forwards are prevalent in these sates.  I think being free and with nature can heal both body and mind.  Best Wishes! 

Watch Cheap RV Living on YouTube for all kinds of info.

 

[travelaround]

Direct deposit into a bank account... but you will need the mail forwarding service to be informed of any mandatory appointments.

I don't know if your Medicaid would be available out of your state. You'd have to research that. I used to work for California Medi-cal, and people could apply retroactively - so if you had a medical expense there, you could apply within three months to get Medi-cal to pay for it. Anyhow, it all takes research for each specific state.

 

[RoamerRV428]

direct deposit all checks into your acct and handle your banking online

mail forwarding services are wonderful! So many use them without incident. It makes your life easy while on the road actually.

There are tons of ways to hit the road and not worry about paperwork and all that mess

 

[Magda Wise]

I'm on SSI, took 8 really long years to get it. My worker has told me that if I leave my state (physical address) for more than 30 consecutive days that I will lose my benefits. That I would have to reapply and hope for the best.

I also have my states medicaid and that is only good in my state but they 'may' pay for ER visits in another state.

And I am on HUD's low income housing which states I will lose my apartment if I'm gone for more than 30 consecutive days.

And last but not least, on all of these programs I'm not allowed to have over $2000 or I obviously don't need help and will lose it. (so much for an emergency fund in case I break down....)

I'm in Iowa, which has no free camping, it's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. And it's a long long way to the RTR, but I plan to go and do some other exploring.

Be sure to talk to your SS worker and find out the rules so you don't accidentally break them and end up in a bad situation. SSI has different rules than SSDI. SSI is way more restrictive.

If anyone knows how to work around the 30 day rule I'd really like to know about it so I can spend a little extra time out west this winter.

 

[travelaround]

Magda, with those rules... you could change states about once a year. While looking for a new Section 8 home, live in your car 2 months... you would have to get a new rental within two months or your housing certificate would expire. Then use the next 12 months to explore your new state. When you get tired of that, move again. Section 8 (or whatever they call it now) has inter-state transfers. You are not doomed to live all your life in Iowa.

Conversely, you might want to give up the Section 8 entirely if you could manage van life, car life, or what have you.

A man I used to know was on SSI and decided to see the USA by moving about once a month from place to place, to live in homeless shelters. I remember, he went to Austin, Florida, Maine, Spokane.. etc... can't remember all the cities he visited. He finally rented a trailer in Northern California when he got tired of all that moving around... his version of sight seeing, since he didn't have a car and did his moves via Greyhound buses.

 

[Riverman]

Just some simple questions that I have on leaving your state for a little while...

Is there a rule that a person can't take a vacation for more than 30-days at a time?

Who is keeping tabs on the day you leave on vacation and the day you return from your vacation?

Is a person with the above listed benefits allowed to go on vacation?

 

[RoamerRV428]

I'm on SSI, took 8 really long years to get it. My worker has told me that if I leave my state (physical address) for more than 30 consecutive days that I will lose my benefits. That I would have to reapply and hope for the best.

This is something you must check in depth.  I believe you can easily keep your SSI and travel longer.  I fear you are being told wrong info on this part.  You need to find out the real truth about your benefits and travel.


I also have my states medicaid and that is only good in my state but they 'may' pay for ER visits in another state.

And I am on HUD's low income housing which states I will lose my apartment if I'm gone for more than 30 consecutive days.  Again, I would make sure this is in truth and how it applies to longer travel.  Again this feels like you have been told sketchy information.

And last but not least, on all of these programs I'm not allowed to have over $2000 or I obviously don't need help and will lose it. (so much for an emergency fund in case I break down....)  Money in a bank that can be traced and seen.  You can easily save money in a cookie jar or under the mattress : I know I would LOL and no one would be the wiser of what I had.

I'm in Iowa, which has no free camping, it's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. And it's a long long way to the RTR, but I plan to go and do some other exploring.  There is free camping in Iowa.  Free dispersed campsites.  I checked freecamping.com and Iowa shows a few dispersed campgrounds and many very cheap campsites.  In your area and places you wish to travel? No idea but there are some you can take advantage of if wanted.

Be sure to talk to your SS worker and find out the rules so you don't accidentally break them and end up in a bad situation. SSI has different rules than SSDI. SSI is way more restrictive.

If anyone knows how to work around the 30 day rule I'd really like to know about it so I can spend a little extra time out west this winter.

I hope you can find ways around things and I would go and have a way more indepth chat about how restrictive it is and what I can do with my travel times etc. in my life.  I don't believe any of these benefits could hold your life in one spot like this, there has to be some extension to these limits you posted.  Time for hard and knowledgable chat with your case workers or whomever.  I think you are entitled to way more than you are being told and led to believe!

 

[Moxadox]

To the folks who have offered thoughts on how to get around the rules affecting Medicaid, Section 8, & SSI: please don't encourage this poster to try to bend these rules. They are iron-clad. Yes, they ARE watching--at all times. She has a caseworker who is watching. If she has a medical issue and receives services out of state past her 30 day window, not only will those services not be covered, but she will very suddenly lose all of her benefits and possibly be evicted from her public housing. THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION.

The OP's question is easier: mail forwarding service, maintain your domicile in the state where you subscribe to your Medicare supplement. Make sure everything is direct deposited into your bank account. Premiums deducted directly so you don't have to worry about missing a payment. Make sure you have a regular fee-for-service plan, NOT Medicare Advantage which DOES tie you to a certain state!

My former profession required me to know and work with these particular laws, so forgive me for sounding like a know-it-all. This is one topic I happen to actually know ;-)

The Dire Wolfess

 

[crofter]

receives services out of state past her 30 day window, not only will those services not be covered, but she will very suddenly lose all of her benefits and possibly be evicted from her public housing.  

Question on the 30 day window-
This also applies to food stamp cards? I think the transactions can be tracked (and are tracked) so if you are buying all your groceries out of state the agency could pull your benefits.  This happened to me when I traveled from Montana to Washington looking for work. Montana unemployment continued to pay until I was working, but food stamps stopped after I started buying groceries there.  
Also my medicaid was cancelled after I received my first paycheck in another state (different move). That is how I wound up with no medical insurance while camp hosting - even though the job was seasonal. Due to job location being in another state and I was living at the job site, a requirement of camp hosting jobs, that disqualified me for benefits. Though Medicaid is a Federal benefit, it doesn't seem to travel from one state to another.           
I think there should be an exception for migrants like us who travel. You should be able to base your benefits off a home state address, not a temporary physical address.
~crofter

 

[Riverman]

I had no idea the rules were so strict... can even take an extended vacation?

 

[travelaround]

On the topic of staying within the rules, I want to add that my friend on SSI who was taking Greyhound buses to different states to stay in homeless shelters ... he always stayed in touch with Social Security for legal purposes of letting them know what state he was in. He didn't try to do this without their knowledge, as SSI levels are different in many states.

There's a great benefit in letting go of all these social programs, so you can live your life with more freedom. For younger able-bodied people (not on Social Security) I like the option of work camping, seasonal work in campgrounds or for Amazon, etc. ... all that pays better than SSI and you can save money to be able to take off for months without having to continue working.

 

[Moxadox]

Question on the 30 day window-
This also applies to food stamp cards? I think the transactions can be tracked (and are tracked) so if you are buying all your groceries out of state the agency could pull your benefits.  This happened to me when I traveled from Montana to Washington looking for work. Montana unemployment continued to pay until I was working, but food stamps stopped after I started buying groceries there.  
Also my medicaid was cancelled after I received my first paycheck in another state (different move). That is how I wound up with no medical insurance while camp hosting - even though the job was seasonal. Due to job location being in another state and I was living at the job site, a requirement of camp hosting jobs, that disqualified me for benefits. Though Medicaid is a Federal benefit, it doesn't seem to travel from one state to another.           
I think there should be an exception for migrants like us who travel. You should be able to base your benefits off a home state address, not a temporary physical address.
~crofter

Yup, you got it. 'Caid is a state based system. They receive federal money but it is administered by each state, which makes for a quilt with 50+ patches (+ for PR and all the other colonies). This is why we need Medicare For All!

And yup, SNAP food assistance is totally state based. They will be very happy to find some reason to take it away, such as the examples you gave here.

I have a feeling that this incredibly tight-fisted policy is going to change in a few years. It's unsustainable. The enormous flood of people driven into homelessness and near-homelessness (that's us!) is going to force a change in these incredibly restrictive policies. We need to make sure that all who are eligible to vote, do so! We cannot afford to stay in the shadows, disenfranchised.

For those who are disabled, Medicare (not Advantage, which is the HMO/PPO incredibly restrictive version) is much more flexible, but it's expensive (my Supplement was costing $450/mo until this month, when it went down to $149 because I'm turning 65). Advantage is much cheaper, but you're restricted to one Primary Care Provider, which means you're stuck in one community. Not a good fit for a nomad!

The Dire Wolfess

 

[Moxadox]

I had no idea the rules were so strict... can even take an extended vacation?

No. The rules are incredibly strict, and they know how to monitor things like prescriptions filled out of state, and other tell-tale signs that you've been gone too long. They figure that if you can afford to travel, you must not need the services. This is really hard on people who must travel to care for a sick loved one, for instance.

The Dire Wolfess

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Don't know if this has been mentioned anywhere, but if a person is on SSI for a disabilty that began before age 26, you can put away up to $15,000 a year. It is called an ABLE account and it is for saving up for the beneficiary's needs, like a new wheelchair, handicapped vehicle, help with housing and other particulars. The accounts are administered by multiple state entities.
Ted

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0501130740

 

[Blanch]

I am a fulltime nomad on SSDI and it is bothersome to deal with, but it can work just fine. I have to travel to see my doctor every four months. I go on four month trips and then return to get mail and doctor appointments. Medicare is easy as it is a nationwide program. I did a "disabled nomad meet and greet" at the last RTR. I had a nice group of folks who were planning on going nomad that i tried to help. For state assistance you want to choose your state wisely. I would choose California. California is huge and the adjoining states of Nevada and Arizona and Oregon have prime boondocking spots as well. You can travel between these states and just be a few hours from California and healthcare usage with Medi-cal. I get all my mail at a PO box in California, then I have the mail forwarded to where ever I am. Always use an address where you get your assistance. I don't use a mail forwarding service, USPS works just fine for me. USPS also offers a service where they scan the envelope before it is put in your box, this is a new service and will be very helpful to nomads who decide to use it.

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk

 

[Weight]

The states administer Medicaid. Each state has better or worse plans, or none. You can't take it with you. If you need Medicaid, pick a state with the best benefit.