Will a Settlement Affect My Disability, Medicare, or Medicaid? The Plain-English Answers

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Spinal Cord Stimulator — Free Case Review

Worried a claim affects Medicare or disability?

Good question — and answerable. Start with whether your case qualifies at all.

ACTIVE LITIGATION — NO SETTLEMENT. MDL 3181 underway · deadlines vary by state.

Do you — or someone you love — have a spinal cord stimulator that caused problems?

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I’m not sure it was the device →

No documents needed · an answer either way · no fee unless there is a recovery. Court costs and litigation expenses are advanced by counsel and repaid from the recovery. You are not responsible for court costs or litigation expenses if there is no recovery, unless a court directs otherwise. The attorney’s fee is a percentage of the gross recovery, calculated before expenses are deducted.

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Stefanie A. Murphy & Matthew T. Marin

Partners

Every spinal cord stimulator inquiry gets a personal review — and an honest answer either way, free and without obligation.

Claims target the device manufacturers — not your doctor. Some matters may be referred to other lawyers. No settlement has been reached, and most cases are in their earliest stages; every case must be proven on its own facts. Attorney Advertising.

One of the most common reasons injured stimulator patients never file a claim is fear of losing benefits — and most of that fear attaches to the wrong programs. Here is how it actually works, program by program. (This is general information, not advice about your specific benefits; your situation gets reviewed individually before you ever decide anything.)

Marin & Murphy Law Firm is currently accepting spinal cord stimulator cases. Free, confidential case reviews: (888) 348-2735, available 24/7.

SSDI — the one most stimulator patients have: not means-tested

Social Security Disability Insurance is based on your work history and medical condition, not your assets. A personal-injury settlement does not reduce or terminate SSDI. This is the single most important fact on this page, because SSDI is the benefit most claimants in this litigation actually receive.

SSI — means-tested, and manageable

Supplemental Security Income is asset-limited, so an unplanned lump sum can affect it. The solution is planning, not forfeiting your claim: special needs trusts and ABLE accounts exist precisely so injury settlements don’t cost SSI recipients their benefits. If you’re on SSI, you tell us at intake and structuring is part of the plan — never an afterthought.

Medicare — you keep it; it keeps a receipt

Medicare is not means-tested; a settlement never cancels your Medicare. What Medicare does have is a repayment interest (a lien) for injury-related care it paid for, and sometimes a set-aside for future injury-related care. Resolving Medicare’s interest is standard, handled by counsel within your settlement — a line item, not a threat.

Medicaid — means-tested, with the same toolkit

Medicaid can have both a repayment claim and asset limits. As with SSI: liens get negotiated (states routinely accept reduced amounts), and trusts protect eligibility where needed. People on Medicaid recover in device litigation every day.

VA benefits and workers’ compensation

VA disability compensation is not means-tested (VA pension is — flag it at intake). If workers’ comp paid for your stimulator, the carrier may assert an offset or lien against a third-party recovery — routine coordination handled inside the case, and never a reason a comp patient can’t pursue the manufacturer.

The honest bottom line

Liens and program rules reduce and complicate recoveries at the margins; they almost never make a claim not worth bringing — and every one of them is handled inside your case before any settlement is accepted. The mistake isn’t filing while on benefits. The mistake is letting a fixable planning question cost you a claim entirely.

Matthew T. Marin, J.D. — Admitted in Rhode Island, South Carolina, Connecticut, and Massachusetts

Stefanie A. Murphy, J.D. — Admitted in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

Attorney Advertising. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship — that relationship is formed only by a signed written agreement. The attorneys of Marin & Murphy Law Firm are licensed in Rhode Island, South Carolina, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. We evaluate potential claims nationwide; for matters arising in states where our attorneys are not admitted, we associate with or refer to locally licensed co-counsel and do not ourselves practice law in those jurisdictions. Submitting the contact form or contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Representation is offered on a contingent-fee basis: no fee unless there is a recovery, though a client may be responsible for case costs and expenses. The statute of limitations may sharply limit the time to file a claim. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and no outcome is guaranteed. Responsible attorney: Matthew T. Marin, Marin & Murphy Law Firm (South Carolina).