Juan's Story
Watch Juan make decisions around his benefits and Medicaid while he becomes an adult, leaves school, and becomes employed.
At age three, Juan is accepted into Head Start, a birth to three program supporting children with delays and their families.
Juan has been diagnosed as having a developmental disability. Staff at Head Start share that there is a program that supports families called the Developmental Disabilities Administration. Juan applies and becomes eligible.
The DDA Case Resource Manager determines that the family is eligible for the Individual and Family Support Waiver. This waiver provides Juan and his family with behavioral support and consultation, specialized medical equipment and supplies, and respite.
Throughout his childhood, Juan attends a school in his community. At age 18, Juan walked with his classmates in his graduation ceremony, but stays in school through its transition program, which helps him gain life skills and try out work in community settings.
His family hears about Social Security and Juan applies. He qualifies for SSI. During this time, his DDA Case Resource Manager suggests that Juan look at what services he might need and be eligible to receive for the rest of his adulthood, receiving supports at work and in the community. He is told that he would be a priority to move to a different waiver that aligns with his goals, if he leaves school with the job.
While in transition, Juan reaches out to a benefits planner to ask what will happen to his Social Security benefits when offered a job. He receives assurance that he can work and remain eligible for SSI and Medicaid.
As Juan nears 21, he gets a job and reconnects with the DDA Case Resource Manager. Juan is determined eligible for a Basic Plus waiver. Under this waiver, he receives funded employment supports and assistive technology to help him be more independent. He also receives personal care at home.
Juan is now 24. The state just increased the minimum wage by $0.75 per hour. Juan’s mom is worried about the loss of SSI and the waiver. Juan meets with a benefits planner and is assured that even if SSI is reduced to $0 due to wages, he will remain eligible for Medicaid and therefore keep his waiver.
At age 27, Juan continues to work but is getting tired of shuffling his money to stay below the $2,000 resource limit. He meets with a Benefits Planner and chooses to go over the resource limit as a strategy to leave 1619B status so that he can move to HWD with no resource limit. Moving off 1619 B means Juan is leaving his SSI eligibility, but he is prepared to make this transition thanks to the help of his Benefits Planner.
Juan enrolls in HWD, maintains his waiver, and can now easily save money.