kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Hi. My daughter is 18 and unable to work and attend school full time. She is the one with bartonella. Is there a way to claim her expenses as an adult dependent?
Does this vary from state to state? I'll ask my tax person, but just wondered if we have a chance to get help for the care we have to provide her.
posted
Kelly, I am not a tax professional, so bearing that in mind:
I think you can claim as a DEDUCTION any person who you supported more than 50% of the time in one year. And I believe you can also report any monies spent on health care. Some STATES even will pay relatives to PROVIDE healthcare and for the same pallitive care as it would cost to have someone else do as professional home health care.
I have a friend who was paid by Medicaid to care for her mother and therefore kept her out of a nursing home.
This probably doesn't apply to you but it is worth looking into.
Of course, speak to a tax professional or call or write to the IRS (you can ask questions online.)
Best of luck, Janet
-------------------- DISCLAIMER: No information presented above should be considered medical advice or take the place of advice given by a medical professional. Links to other sites are provided merely for ease of research. Posts: 287 | From Tennessee | Registered: Sep 2006
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trails
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1620
posted
from what we know about this---my partner was an enrolled agent in the 90's and we have had to do extensive tax research to file our own taxes as domestic partners----
you can claim your daughter as an adult dependent as long as she did not make over $3,600 in income last year. There are other rules too---she must live with you and you must have provided more than half her support.
sounds like you guys might qualify!
For domestic partners the income cap is waived--you can earn more than $3,600--as per some tax rule implemented 2 years ago.
Posts: 1950 | From New Mexico | Registered: Sep 2001
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stymielymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10044
posted
kelly: she should certainly be able to get title 19 medicaid, state funded. you can also , if you have very good documentation apply and receive social security disability. you should get the best disabilty lawyer in your area because the system has to work thru a lawyer the rate is 25% as long as she gets it and the percent is fixed, so get the best.
arizona may have reinburment for private schools and home care, not sure, can ask my daughter she teaches in tuscon.
she may be able to get alot more benefits. you should call the lawyer is she is totally disabled, they will usually consult for free, and you can ask them , what services are available to you. also department of social service website for arizona or regional will have info also.
its tough work cause the lines are long the phone hold time ids long.
i went to ss in west palm beach office last week and they had 400 waiting in andoutside at 2:00 in the afternoon.
you can apply youself but might be better of time wise and stress wise to call a goooood lawyer. you may get more benefits any more info pm me trails is close to being correct, but the lawyer can also tell you. docdave
Posts: 1820 | From Boone and Southport, NC | Registered: Sep 2006
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Thank you all. YOu thought of things I haven't.
One question. Should she qualify for disability, can she ever go off of it if she goes into remission?
I'm afraid that if she files for disability, she may have trouble getting insurance on her own when she is independent. (We're speaking in positive terms...we WANT remission, right?!!)
I may make an appointment with an attorney. I have been referred to a good one. And, I'll contact our tax accountant.
She is fully dependent. I'm trying to get her LLMD to write a letter stating that she cannot take a full load of classes at the comm college. In order to keep her insured under our policy, she is required to take 12 hours. She can really only manage one class right now.
stymielymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10044
posted
make sure the lawyer specializes in disabilty cases, not one of the ones on tv.
they have a program with ssdid that allows you to start back to work for a trial period. if can't work then it continues. you can only make a certain amount, but they do encourage you to go back to work and they do have a program to help. i would not recommending going on and of ssdis because , they do not understand lyme.
ssdis works like this:| you send in the intial forms they send her to a doc and psych. they will both say she is fine, they get payed by the government.
they do not care what disease is causing the problems.\ they care about, how it effects daily living, how it effects education, how it effects working, how it effects the family how it effects her emotional life.
the doc need excellent clincal documentation for her case. explaining all of these things also from his perspective.
the lawyer will get record the more the merrier. if she has not seen a psychiatrist you should find a good one and get a psych profile.
from your info ,i would think she is probably on meds for depression, sleep,anxiety.
my lawyer had me write an advidavit in my own words not technical,but everything i used to do and now things i can't do. each symptom layed out and its purpose for why you can't work.
if i can find a copy of the advidavit, i will pm you with it.
it is one the lymenet somewhere, but don't know how long they keep posts active.
any more question don't hestitate to shout. i've been through it 3 times ssdis, workman's comp, private disability policy. so i know the ins and outs of how the system works, and it doesn't work for you.
docdave Posts: 1820 | From Boone and Southport, NC | Registered: Sep 2006
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
When looking for a good SS lawyer I found my local support group was a great source. You will find others there who have been through it and will know who is good and who isn't.
I have a son who does not qualify for disability, but has been in various stages of employment for the past five + years, due to his Bipolar Disorder.
I've claimed him as a dependent in years when he was not working much and living with me. I never heard of the maximum income amount, but if that's not an issue, not worth pursuing.
As for getting health insurance of her own one day, when she is able to work she can qualify for insurance through her job that will probably just have a pre-existing conditions limit for a year or so on Lyme, but perhaps not even that. I don't know how that works with Medicaid/Medicare.
I do know of another family that has a daughter with Lyme who is unable to go to school full-time. I'll see if I can find out what they've done about health insurance for her.
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
thanks doc and lymedeva. I would like to know what other parents of adult sick kids do.
Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
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stymielymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10044
posted
medicare and social sec disability can be applied for one year prior to now. you can claim disabilty back one year and they pay you a lump sum. medicare with also provide health insurance, and you can apply to medicaid to add the suppliment to cover what medicare doesn't
there are lots of services available that many people don't realize exist. your son/daughter , sorry don't remember, can get the government to pay for schooling also. he/she can get the schooling online at many online schools, ie univ of phoenix, univ of md. alot of colleges have on line studies now.
your support group in your area is a good source of info for all of these. pick the brains of the lawyers also. bring in a list of all the options on this post
docdave Posts: 1820 | From Boone and Southport, NC | Registered: Sep 2006
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mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
If your daughter was a student the first half of the year it is my understnading that you can still claim her as a dependant for 2006, not unlike a college senior. Because she had little or no income, not claiming her on her own tax return, if she even needs to file one, should make little difference.
If she improves and can take courses the fall semester of 2007 you should be able to continue to claim her on your fed return. Remember she doesn't have to pass them, just be enrolled.
As a depenant, her unreimbursed medical expenses should be covered as a percentage of the parents income I believe on schedule A.
It has been a couple of years since I looked this info up and it was as it related to my elderly grandparents who lived with me, so details could be different.
Try to find out the tax answers soon from your tax person. Toward the end of January they get very busy and have less time to do research if need be.
It seems to me that if she can be covered on your health insurance then she is your dependant.
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
As far as disability, you cannot get Medicare health coverage for disability until a 2 year waiting period. It is not meant for temporary disabilities. Some states extend Mediciad disability coverage to more people. But, if she is in school even part-time, good chance she won't qualify as disabled once she turns 19.
However, she can get Medicaid coverage until her 19th birthday if your income is low enough. This is the link to the AZ income limits for Medicaid.
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