Those of us advanced prostate cancer survivors who are younger than 65 years and who live in the United States often face a major dilemma if we are unable to continue to work. Medicare will not provide us with medical insurance until we reach that magic age of 65 years. We can apply for social security disability insurance, but the process is long and tedious. Experience tells us that even the well qualified will be rejected on their first application.
So, we go uninsured knowing that our financial resources will be devastated, or as most of us do, we find a way to stay at work, not taking care of ourselves.
Now there might be a way around this problem. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (OCIIO) today announced that it will begin accepting applications for the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP). This program is a part of the recently enacted Affordable Care Act. Reimbursement would go directly to your employer or union who you will have to convince them to continue carrying you on their policy until you are able to get coverage from Medicare or social security.
The following is the news release from the Department of Health announcing that employers and unions can no