Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can affect individuals long after the immediate injury has healed. There are often lingering affects of the original injury that may affect you or your loved one’s ability to work, to cope in the home, and to live life to the fullest. Many people who sustain a brain injury will need ongoing care for a period of time and, in some cases, for the rest of their lives. Medical bills can be overwhelming, and caring for these patients can be a tremendous financial strain. Knowing what resources are available to assist you financially can be a tremendous advantage. The following are but a few of the resources available for TBI patients and families:

Short and Long-term Disability- Many people are afforded this benefit through work, although some purchase this insurance privately. Short-term disability pays a large percentage of a person’s wage for a specified period of time, after which long-term disability takes over. Long-term disability generally pays less than short-term disability, and periodic physician assessments are usually required.

SSI (Supplemental Security Income)- This program is federally funded, and assists people who are disabled to pay for basic necessities. To qualify for SSI, you must have little or no income from other sources.

Social Security Disability- Eligibility for this program is based on your prior work history. If you qualify for SSI, you may qualify for disability as well. In most cases, you won’t have to be examined a second time by a physician; the medical requirements are similar.

Medicaid/Medicaid- A federal program which provides free health insurance to those who qualify.

The Catastrophic Injury Resource Center is dedicated to assisting injury patients who have been involved in an accident and are looking to obtain affordable medical treatment for their injuries. We provide counseling to patients regarding the nationwide availability of reduced cost or free medical services from various organizations and referrals to those organizations. In cases that qualify, medical treatment may be partially or fully funded.

National Transplant Assistance Fund & Catastrophic Injury Program (NTAF)
NTAF Mission is to help catastrophic injury patients and their families afford critical but uninsured medically related expenses through fundraising guidance; patient support with financial and other resources and to help in possible transplant procedures.

Work Worth Doing: Advances in Brain Injury Rehabilitation Brian T McMahon, PhD, CRC and Linda Shaw, PhD, CRC Editors President Theodore Roosevelt once said "Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing". This quote is not only the source from which the title was borne, but also the philosophical approach toward TBI rehabilitation embraced by the 26 rehabilitation experts who wrote Work Worth Doing: Advances in Brain Injury Rehabilitation. This important-possibly controversial-book of issues and methods addresses the full spectrum of vocational rehabilitation activities. Independent living, treatment generalization, criteria for evaluating TBI rehabilitation facilities, family involvement issues and an entirely new perspective on the TBI rehabilitation industry are discussed.

Brain Injury and the Family: A Life and Living Perspective, Second EditionArthur E. Dell Ortho, PhD and Paul W. Power, ScD Comprehensive in scope, this book is always accessible... it should be equally important to survivors, their families and those who work with them. - Disability Resource Monthly Conceived and written by two of the country's leading authorities on the relationship of brain injury and family matters, this book opens the frequently locked doors to accessible information. The authors have joined forces to produce the most organized easy-to digest and insightful book to make an appearance in recent years. The book is a combination of original material, personal statements by individuals with TBI and their families structured experiences. The book is directed toward a family-oriented treatment and rehabilitation perspective.

more...

more...