Look Inside Young Adult Road Map

Guiding Star Close-up: The Bridge to Everywhere
Ways to use the five points of the Guiding Star:
Set Goals: List your top three concerns about switching to a new insurance plan or
getting insurance from a different insurance provider.
Learn System Basics: If you have Medicaid, go to your member website address on the
back of insurance ID card and look for information about what happens when you turn
18. You can also call the number on your card.
Build Relationships: Talk to your case manager. Ask “What are my options?”
Manage Information: Find out what records you will need to apply for insurance. Create
a binder to keep your records in a single place.
Find Support: Look for community resources, such as faith-based organizations and
advocacy groups, that help people fill out insurance application forms. Look for resources
for getting eyeglasses and dental services.
New stages of life can be
exciting, but the details
can sometimes feel
overwhelming too. Luckily,
all five points of the Guiding
Star can help you cross
those bridges.
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Income (Paying for Housing, Food,
Transportation, etc.)
Families with limited income, who have children under age
18 with disabilities, can receive Supplemental Security
Income (SSI), a monthly government payment. At age 18, a young
adult must apply for his or her own payment. (In most cases, the young
adult must apply after age 18 and wait for a few months for SSI payments
to start. That person eventually gets an extra payment to make up for the gap.)
If you did not receive SSI as a child, you can still apply as a young adult. Your records
must show that you had a disability before age 18. You will usually need to get another
assessment or letter from a physician to show you still have the disability.
Even if you and your family don’t need the money, qualifying for SSI can sometimes be a
“gateway” to being accepted into other state government programs, such as Medicaid,
vocational rehabilitation (a program to assist you in finding work or training to work), or
transportation supports. Sometimes it means you go to the head of the line for programs
with long waiting lists.
A young adult over age 18 with a disability may still qualify for SSI, even if he or she still
lives at home. (This is called being a “Household of One,” even though you don’t physically
live in your own household.) When you live on your own (paying your own rent and at least
half of your own expenses), your SSI payment is increased.
Questions to consider/discuss with others:
1. Am I still eligible for SSI based on my disability? What do I need to do? What documents
do I need? When should I start the process of qualifying for SSI?
2. How soon after I apply will I know if I am accepted? If I am accepted, when will
payments start?
3. How does my SSI payment change if I move to my own place? Will the payment provide
enough money to meet my bills every month? If not, does qualifying for SSI make it
easier to become eligible for other assistance, such as a voucher to reduce the cost
of housing or insurance?