Losing health insurance

I don't know if anyone else has run into this problem. But I was told by my employer would lose job if I had to be out again for more than a day or two. Work for a small business 27 yrs..was out of work for 6 months(crohns, 4 surgeries) I am back but having problem with the last surgery, having Cat Scan tomorrow.

but all in all, i have dealt with these problems for 40yrs, end up with colomsy can deal with all health issues.But if I lose my health insurance I am screw.

Has anyone else run into this??? It would financially wipe me out in a very short time. Where do we turn? Forget disab takes 12-24 months to get on Medicare.
Thanks Much

Your employer has a wonderful way of showing appreciation for your years of service. Reminds me of some characters in a Dickens novel. Anyway, do you have any kind of a retirement plan? Maybe you can negotiate some type of severance deal that would help you through until you qualify for Social Security benefits at 62. You are correct in acknowledging that Medicare Disability takes a long time to kick in; and, even then, you will probably need to apply several times and submit tons of paperwork before they approve. You should also be aware of PA's Mini-Cobra Law that
gives employees of small businesses who receive health insurance from their employers the right to purchase continuation health insurance after they leave employment for nine months after their employment ends. I think you would buy into your employer's plan at a much cheaper rate than if you bought health insurance on your own. Also, remember you can still collect unemployment insurance when you begin SSI. Good luck! PB

When I was very young, I was fired from a law firm where I worked while in the hospital! Lost health insurance,etc. I have heard that were that to occur today, it would be against the law. But which law covers it, I'm not sure. I know you are not supposed to be fired due to illness anymore.They can put you on leave without pay, maybe. I would call a local attorney, maybe those who work with disabilities, or Legal Aid. I don't know your age, but you could also check with League of Older Americans. Good luck. By the way, I ended up having ostomy surgery --the lawyer who fired me was the father of a gastroenterologist. When he heard I had recovered, the old goat actually tried to get me to come back to work for him. (I had managed the firm) I was furious. After that, I only worked for large firms. And the lawyers I dealt with always protected me, as another time the firm's health insurer tried to cancel my health insurance. I had another surgery, and they actually paid me my full salary for the entire four months I was out of work. So there are decent people.
But seriously -- check out your rights. What he's threatening is, I believe, illegal. And it's a Federal law, not state by state.

Good luck and feel better soon. Grrrrrrrrr. I'm pissed off for you! Disability takes about 2 years to complete.

https://www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org/about/cancerlegalresource.cfm

I would also encourage you to get in touch with these folks from Loyola University.

The idea that you can't miss another day or two after what you have been through sounds very discriminatory to me. You may be out of sick days, but if you have vacation or personal time off you should be able to take those days. Your company may be too small for this, but often your co-workers can donate their unused sick days to you.

You are correct that you will wait 2 years for Medicare after being accepted for Social Security disability (if you are accepted) and I have recently heard the wait time for SSD is nearing 18 months. I think your best bet is to find legal help ASAP. Good luck!

Thanks to All of you for the advice!!!!!

I will look into some of these. An yes you are correct
the man who Now owns this place is 3rd generation..and he is not like his father( he puts 1hr a day into the business), it is all
about him. He already took alway our vacation and sick days as he said he didn't have the money, but turn around purchases (2) new BMW's for him and his wife and is running payments though business...the guy is a ass. But the business
is felling apart because of him. Many of our good employees have left in the past year,so it will get interesting, I just have to stay focus, and Calm that it will work out for me.

If I can live with Crohns for 45 yrs., and many, many, many surgeries, now a colomsy, Oh-throw in lung cancer which they got ...I will get though this.

Ii is ashame the our country doesn't do more to help people who work their whole lives, and end up in bad situations. We can't buy health insurance as no one will cover us.!!!

Again Thank You All!
Spade

Hey...let us know if you're successful. I agree with you about health insurance.Even on Medicare, with the Part D thrown in for prescriptions, it isn't cheap. It's disgraceful.