health insurance ?

I have gotten to the point i can no longer work ,I have stage 4 prostate cancer . I applied 3 weeks ago for SSDI and today i got a letter were the first line reads

"you are entitled to monthly disablility benifits beginning january 2013"

In December my employer will end my employment and my health care benifits . I will have the option of Cobra but it is costly and is a very high deductable .

Is it possible to get health insurance ? suggestions ?

I think there is at least a year interval between disability and eligibility for a variation of medicare? I would be sure that I was signed up for Cobra coverage just in case, but follow up on other options. Cancelling Cobra is possible, adding after the fact is a whole different story.

Not knowing your situation, one possibility is to go on a spouse's program (but this is annual enrollment period, so to be considered quickly).

The "pre-existing" clauses are still used (it will be 2014 before they are eliminated), so you need the Cobra continuation to keep things in place until you find something.

I'm potentially in the same boat, and have been asking the same questions, but to a brick wall so far.

In the meantime, scrimp and save as if Cobra will be the option until proven otherwise.

There is normaly a one year gap when approved for Social Security Disability and Medicare, but it all depends when you first applied, and when you actually get approved. I went through this whole process some 14 months ago, in the end, my "one year wait" for medicare had already been realized due to the lengthy time that i was finally approved. so in my case, my medicare started the first month after my approval.

my best advice is to seek the advice of a good SSD attorney, they all work on contingency (no money out of your pocket) and most if not all, will talk to you for free to see if their aid would be useful in your particular case.

david

Illinois has something called the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan which makes insurance coverage available to Illinois residents only who cannot get insurance otherwise because of medical issues and/or the expiration of COBRA coverage. Your state may have a similar program but be aware that there may be major limitations on eligibility and the cost would likely be similar to COBRA coverage. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer a month before I was laid off my job due to a plant closing so I can understand the worries you have about insurance coverage. If you would like to discuss this more, send me an e-mail. My address is under my profile.

Post Edited (Inspector 13) : 9/25/2012 12:18:04 PM (GMT-6)