How Do I Pay for Doctor Visits After I Go on Disability?

Your employer-sponsored health insurance plan will offer you COBRA coverage after you are no longer eligible for the employer-subsidized participation. COBRA ordinarily allows you to buy the insurance coverage for 18 months. If you can demonstrate you were awarded benefits for disability from the Social Security Administration, your coverage under COBRA can be extended even further. Upon exhaustion of COBRA benefits, you will have to qualify for early Medicare benefits. Keep in mind, however, that beginning in 2014, you will be able to purchase individual insurance without being denied on the basis of preexisting conditions.