Dear Colleague,
This email has information on two items that may be of interest:
- Brief information on open enrollment from Get Covered New Jersey, which is ending on January 31, 2022, and
- How to get help from Social Security
Open enrollment from Get Covered New Jersey is ending on January 31, 2022
Please see the Get Covered New Jersey link and forward it to anyone who does not have NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid and needs health insurance. The open enrollment period is ending on January 31, 2022.
How to get help from Social Security
Please see the notice below from the Social Security Administration, which was prepared for everyone who needs assistance from Social Security -- it was not written for a specific population. Therefore, I have a few comments that pertain specifically to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) whose parents are submitting an application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or if parents have questions about their son/daughter's current Social Security benefits (e.g., the upcoming retirement of a parent and the son/daughter with IDD changing from SSI to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), due to the work record of a parent).
1. It is usually more helpful to speak to a Social Security employee at the local office, instead of calling the national phone number. The local phone number can be accessed from this link: local Social Security office
2. Social Security employees have been responding to telephone inquiries since the pandemic began in March, 2020, and most issues and concerns can be addressed by scheduling a telephone appointment with the local office (including applying for SSI).
3. If it is necessary to have an in-person appointment (and emphasizing that an in-person appointment will not usually be needed) a parent should ask if he or she can go alone, to prevent their son/daughter with IDD from waiting to be seen (and possibly waiting outside in cold weather).
