COBRA may fill insurance needs if taking Social Security disability

by Janet Kidd Stewart The journey
via Chicago Tribune
November 1, 2009

Q: If you are on Social Security disability, can you get any kind of health insurance discount?

I'm 56, have had Parkinson's disease for 10 years and have worked full time for 36 years. My husband, 60, had a heart transplant 12 years ago and is retired. We both have insurance, and we need both for the check-ups and routine stuff.

If I get on Social Security disability, I will get my full pension but lose my health care insurance for both of us. It's hard to get new insurance with pre-existing conditions. I also have other health problems affecting my ability to work. Should I apply for SSD and try to find new insurance or keep trying to work? We also both need insurance for our medications because we take a lot, and they are very expensive.

D.M.

A: First, check to see whether your husband's policy would pick up some or all of the decrease in your coverage if you lose your insurance.

If you do need more coverage, you can most likely continue your current coverage for up to 18 months under COBRA, the health benefits provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, said Dorothy Clark, a spokeswoman for the Social Security Administration.

If it is determined that you are disabled, that period can be extended another 11 months. And if you are approved for disability benefits, Medicare will kick in after the 29 months of COBRA expires, she said.

Of course, under COBRA, you will likely pay not only your contribution but also the employer's portion of the insurance bill.

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