what is your health insurance if you go on SSDI?

If you are approved for SSDI then you will be eligible for Medicare 2 years from your disability date.

If you were on SSI, which is income based, then Medicaid would come into play.

Not dumb.  Lots of folks are confusing SSI and SSDI.   The Social Security webpage is really excellent and you should read as much as you can to understand it.

On edit: Insurance during the two years is your responsibility.  Hopefully you have something from work to tide you over like LTD?

If you have to go on Cobra, it should last 24 instead of the usual 18 months, if you're on SSDI and waiting for the 2 year period to end. I don't think Health Care Reform has changed that, but not sure.

My brother was on Medicaid during the time that he was waiting for Medicare.  Now he actually has both.  Look into it - the Medicaid benefits can vary from state to state - he is in NY and the benefits there have been good.  Also depends on how long you have lived in your state.  My brother has stayed in NY rather than moving to PA or CO because the benefits are better there.

I'm on SSDI and am making COBRA payments to my former employer to cover my medical insurance until I hit the 2-year-mark and get Medicare.

You might want to get a consult at the SS office in your area, or even with an attorney that specializes in disability cases. Stage IV breast cancer is an automatic approval, but other stages are not, so I think you have to do quite a bit of work to get them all the documentation to show you are unable to work. I've heard that it is a difficult process.

To prepare, I might even suggest that every time you meet with your oncologist you discuss your difficulty in working full-time. That will give you a history in the chart notes of having trouble working, which the doc can then use when writing the letter to SS and submitting your medical records. 

After you are approved, there is a 6-month waiting period before you start to get disability checks from SS. So you could start planning for that now, too, and trying to build some savings if you can. The downside of that is that any savings are counted against you for SSI, the one that is income based. At least in my state of WA, they considered any amount in savings as well as retirement accounts, etc. 

I don't think it's impossible, either! You paid into the system and it should support you if you need it. I just think that it's always a good idea to be a squeaky wheel. I know that I often downplay things and say "oh, i'm doing fine." If you do that, the docs won't have documentation that you're struggling to work. So complain, complain, complain! Be honest about what you are struggling with. Set yourself up to have evidence so that if you do need SSDI, they have the info they need to approve your claim. I wish it were an easier process for people. I understand that it's a system that gets abused at times, but a cancer diagnosis and the crappy treatments we have to take are pretty clear-cut. It's not like faking a back injury or something that can't be proven medically.

My Husband gets SSDI and he is on my health insurance from my work, it worked out cheaper for him to be on my insurance than pay part B and part D for medicare.

Yes you can but when you are eligible for Medicare after 2 years, it will become primary and your spouse's insurance secondary.   Mostly an administrative headache but it can have ramifications if your Dr. is not a Medicare approved practitioner. 

Fearless,

I applied for SSDI as soon as we realized I would not be able to return to work, which was 2 months after my diagnosis of stage 4. My docs had told me I would not be able to but I wanted to wait and see. I couldve applied as soon as my docs said that. Benefits start 5 months after you can no longer work but you dont get your first check until the 6th month. Do you have other serious health issues that would help qualify you? You most likely will not qualify having stage 2A alone unless you have some debilitating effects etc from treatment and/or surgery. Its hard on people when you have to stop working and then apply and wait and see. If you get to the point where you simply cant work, maybe you would qualify for some kind of aid..I dont know. Perhaps theres something new I dont know about, I hope so. It never hurts to ask. I know one woman who had stage 3B, has 3 other serious health conditions as has been refused SSDI repeatedly. Good luck, Mazy

Fearless one: I was able to get on SSDI at stage IIIA, thanks in part to advice from a friend who is a social worker. She told me to have everything well documented, and talk about PAIN, PAIN, PAIN. You need to convince them that you cannot work because of pain or the medication you are taking. Also, it helps to get your doctors on your side, ie: talk to them before you apply. Apply as soon as you can, though. Good luck!

lluistro 1525: They count combined income.

One love, Jackie 

Depending on the state you're in you might be able to qualify for a state sponsored short term disability (NJ has one).  You might qualify for short term even though you wouldn't for long term SSDI (I would assume that it's easier to qualify for short term than the long term SSDI).  This would also help while in the SSDI waiting period.  I know it didn't take much for me but I was bedridden for 5 months and am stage IV from the outset.

Edited to add: I know this doesn't help with the insurance, but at least it would be income during the period you couldn't work while you recover.