If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare?

How to prove you are disabled
and win disability benefits

An important question for all SSDI (social security disability insurance) disability beneficiaries is "Will I get any kind of health insurance now that I have been approved for benefits"? This is a very real concern, since most disability beneficiaries have lost all health insurance by the time they are approved for disability benefits.

Unfortunately, if you have been approved for SSDI benefits, you most likely have pre-existing conditions that would prevent you from getting private health insurance, or if you were able to get health insurance your premiums would be extremely high.

Social Security recognizes the need for health coverage for disability beneficiaries; however Medicare coverage is not available to disability beneficiaries immediately. Unfortunately, Social Security requires a two-year waiting period for Medicare benefits. You will receive Medicare benefits twenty four months from the month you were first eligible to receive your monthly disability benefit, not the date you became disabled and unable work.

If you have health insurance coverage at the time you receive disability benefits, do not drop your coverage. You should try to keep your coverage for the two-year waiting period. If you have cobra insurance coverage it would be advisable to keep your coverage for as long as you can.

The simple truth is that you could potentially be without health insurance for up to two years, especially if you are approved for disability benefits with your initial disability claim (we say potentially because the two year wait for medicare does not necesssary mean that you actually have to wait for two years as the following paragraphs will indicate).

Please check with Social Security to ascertain when you are eligible for Medicare benefits prior to terminating your health insurance.

Note: By the very nature of the disability determination process (how long it takes to get claims approved, how the determination on "onset" is made, and how far back benefits may be paid) many disability beneficiaries will not feel as though they had to wait two years for Medicare benefits. This is simply because the two year waiting period does not begin from the time you get a notice of award letter.

For example, if you are approved for disability benefits through an administrative law judge disability hearing, you may receive Medicare benefits at the time you receive your approval for SSDI disability benefits.

How is this possible? Well basically, your date of entitlement to disability benefits may be far enough in the past that, when coupled with the time it takes to get to a disability hearing, you may have eliminated most or all of your Medicare waiting period.

Currently, hearings offices across the nation have disability hearing backlogs of twelve months or more; therefore, it is easy to see how you might eliminate the two year Medicare waiting period, if you are not approved for SSDI disability benefits until your disability hearing.

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Topics and Questions

Filing for SSD Disability - When Should You put in a Claim?

Does Social Security turn down every disability case the first time ?

What is the process to file a Social Security Disability appeal?

What is a Social Security Disability SSI Durational Denial?

What does social security mean by past work?

Is there a list of conditions that will Qualify you for Disability Benefits?

Applying for disability benefits in Tennessee

What If I Do Not Have Enough Work Credits For Social Security Benefits?

Can I Be Eligible For SSI And Social Security Disability At The Same Time?

How does Social Security determine if I am disabled or not?

If you get denied for disability do you have to file a new application ?

What does a Disability Denial Letter from Social Security say?

What is an unsuccessful work attempt for social security disability or SSI ?

Will I Qualify For SSI, How Do I Get Approved?

What is DDS, or disability determinations services ?

How does Social Security Disability decide that you cannot work?

How does social security disability define work quarters ?

What Is The Social Security Disability Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire?

How to File for SSI

Will I Get SSI or SSD Disability With a Ruptured Disc?

How to Qualify for Social Security Disability or SSI

How much time does it take to get an SSI Decision?

Should I get a representative for my disability claim ?

Does Social Security Disability Have a Time Limit?

When I Apply For Disability Should I List My Old Meds From Years Ago?

Can you get temporary Social Security disability or SSI benefits ?

How Does A Social Security Disability Examiner Work to Determine a Person’s Functional limitations?

The Sequence of Steps to be Approved for Social Security Disability or SSI

Do I Need a Lawyer for My Social Security Disability Hearing?

Is the Medical Criteria to Get Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits hard?

What Are The Reasons For Social Security Disability Cases Being Denied?

What Is the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process Social Security Uses In Every Disability Case?

What Can You Do TO Make Sure Your Social Security Disability Reconsideration Gets Approved?

Social Security Disability Hearings - what to expect

Can’t Work In My Old Job, How Does Social Security Disability Consider This?

Appearing at the ALJ Hearing for Social Security Disability and SSI Benefits

When Social Security Disability Is Awarded Do You Get A Notice, And What Does It Say?

How Often Does Social Security Approve Disability The First Time You Apply?

Social Security Disability and SSI Mental Claims and Criteria

What Is the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process Social Security Uses In Every Disability Case?

Social Security Disability SSI - Income and Financial Issues

What Conditions Qualify For Social Security Disability?

Social Security Disability Hearings - What is the ALJ

Parkinson's Disease and Filing for Disability

Are SSI Disability Claims Handled Differently Than Social Security Disability Claims?

If You are Denied for Disability, What Should You do First?

Why do I need an attorney for Social Security disability?

How should I prepare for a disability hearing with Social Security ?

Mental Disability Benefits - What Social Security will Consider

Cirrhosis and Applying for Social Security Disability SSI Benefits

Reconsideration of a disability denial-what does it involve?

The chances of winning a social security hearing for disability benefits?

Receiving Benefits - Your Medical Condition and Social Security Disability or SSI

Can my Social Security Disability or SSI benefits be stopped or cutoff ?

Should you ask a Disability Lawyer About Their Win Rate and How Many Cases They get Approved?

Will you be notified if you receive an Approval for Social Security Disability or SSI

Hiring a Qualified Disability Lawyer in Minnesota

Does The Social Security Disability Reconsideration Have A Time Limit?

Asthma and Applying for Social Security Disability SSI Benefits

SSD and SSI are Federal Programs

The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here:

Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state

Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials