If you have a disability, you need solid health insurance. If you’re worried about being able to get coverage or potentially paying higher rates, rest assured that you’ll get the coverage you need at the price you can afford.
Free Health Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%
No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.
No Signup required
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), no one can be denied coverage or charged higher rates for having a disability, but it wasn’t always like this. The good news is that no matter your disability, you’re entitled to health insurance coverage and you can’t be charged more or have your benefits capped.
The importance of this can’t be understated. After all, one in four Americans lives with some form of disability. A disability is considered something that limits your daily activities and can affect your hearing, vision, ability to walk, work, think, and more.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about health insurance on disability, including how to get health insurance if you are on disability.
Because the ACA made health insurance accessible to all people living with a disability, there’s no particular plan that’s best for those with disabilities. Instead, you should thoroughly research coverage and choose the plan that has the best coverage for your medical needs and budget.
Every plan has different coverage, so you’ll want the plan that gives you access to the doctors and specialists you need, the medical equipment you might need, etc. Doing this research ahead of choosing a plan can save you significantly when it comes to out-of-pocket costs.
Free Health Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%
No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.
No Signup required
Aside from health insurance, you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSDI offers benefits to those with a disability that are eligible and are unable to work. While SSDI doesn’t offer healthcare benefits, it does qualify you for Medicare if you’re eligible for SSDI. Many people with disabilities choose to purchase health insurance while they wait for their approval status for SSDI if that’s an option for you.
Qualifying for SSDI will get you automatic Medicare benefits. This is significant because you’d get the same amount of coverage that those over 65 years of age get with Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B). You’d receive inpatient and outpatient coverage, as well as preventative care, and more.
You have options for health insurance. Whether you choose an ACA plan through the marketplace, an off-marketplace plan, an employee-sponsored plan (or plan through your spouse), there are options for coverage. Plus, if you qualify for SSDI, you can get health insurance while on disability through Medicare or Medicaid.
When you’re ready to choose a plan, make sure you review the coverage of each plan carefully to make your choice. And if you’re choosing an ACA plan, make sure you’re signing up during open enrollment, which is typically from the beginning of November to mid-December (unless you’ve had a qualifying life event like a marriage or birth). Workplace plans and off-marketplace plans have more flexibility in enrollment periods.
Free Health Insurance Comparison - Save up to 30%
No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.
No Signup required
If you have a disability and need health care coverage, rest assured that you’ll receive fair and equal treatment thanks to the ACA. You won’t have caps on your coverage or higher rates, and you can’t be declined for coverage because of your health or disability. Plus, you have several options available to you in terms of plans. Make sure to check plans carefully to ensure you’ll have the coverage you need before enrolling in a plan—your health is in your hands.
Lauren Lewthwaite Lauren Lewthwaite has been freelance writing for almost five years writing content that ranges from health to insurance and everything in between. Lauren is also a trained translator in French and English and is a dog-mom to an adorable Australian Shepherd.
