Can my kids qualify for Medicare when I get SSDI? Family coverage questions with working spouse

Your children would qualify for auxiliary benefits (not Medicare) based on your SSDI record - typically about 50% of your benefit amount each, but subject to the family maximum which caps the total. Your husband could potentially receive spousal benefits too, but only if he's caring for a child under 16. However, Medicare ONLY covers you as the disabled individual. It does not extend to family members regardless of whether they receive auxiliary benefits. Your children might qualify for your state's CHIP program depending on your family income. Your husband would need to look at marketplace plans or possibly coverage through his business. Keep documenting everything for your SSDI application. Medical records showing progression and treatment attempts are critical. The third-party company should help with this, but having your own attorney for appeals is often wise since most claims are denied initially.

Medicare is ONLY for the disabled person on SSDI or people over 65!!! The kids don't get Medicare at all! They might get some money but not the insurance. Its the biggest problem with disability in this country, I've been dealing with it for years with my wife's MS. We had to keep her on my work insurance with COBRA for 2 YEARS after she got SSDI waiting for Medicare to kick in, and then I STILL had to figure out insurance for our kids. The system is BROKEN!!!!!

Have you checked if your state has any special programs for kids? My brother got SSDI last year and his kids got on our state children's health program even though his wife works. Income limits are higher for kids than adults in most places. Good luck with everything!

I went thru almost the same thing last yr. The kids can get SSI money, its like 200-300$ per kid each month in my case. But medicare only covers the disabled person. My husband makes decent money but not enough for private insurance so the kids ended up on medicaid in our state.

I know you're focused on the Medicare aspect, but don't underestimate how valuable those auxiliary SSDI benefits for your children could be. My daughter receives about $850/month from my disability record. There's no income test for these benefits since they're based on YOUR work record, not your husband's income. But there is a family maximum that will cap the total everyone can receive. As for healthcare, I had the same problem. When I finally got on Medicare, my husband was left scrambling for coverage for our kids. We ended up looking at Healthcare.gov and found our kids qualified for a premium subsidy based on our income. It wasn't perfect but better than nothing. Some states also have specific programs for children with more generous income limits than adult programs. Calling Social Security directly to get accurate information about auxiliary benefits was nearly impossible - I was on hold for hours and kept getting disconnected. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it saved me so much frustration. Worth every penny to actually talk to someone who could answer my specific questions about my family's benefits.

my cousins kids got benifits when she got disabled but her husband made too much money so he didnt get anything. the kids each got like half of what she got each month i think.

i think you should look into medicaid for the kids. its different than medicare. medicaid is for low income and medicare is for disabled/elderly. depends on your state but a lot of times kids can get on even when adults cant.

MS is tough so sorry ur dealing with this. I'm thinking ur kids will probably qualify for ur states CHIP program even with husband working, the income limits r pretty high for kids programs. But they def won't get Medicare, that's just for u when ur on SSDI. But they WILL get monthly $ from social security as dependent benefits which is super helpful. My kids got about $650 each when I got on disability but there's a family max so with 3 kids they might get a bit less each. Hope this helps and good luck!

To summarize the accurate information shared above: 1. Your children would qualify for auxiliary benefits based on your SSDI record once you're approved. These benefits are typically 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount per child, but subject to a family maximum limit. 2. Your husband would only qualify for spousal benefits if caring for a child under 16 or if he's retirement age. 3. Medicare will only cover you as the disabled individual after the 24-month waiting period following SSDI approval. It doesn't extend to family members. 4. For healthcare coverage for your children, look into: - Your state's CHIP/Children's Medicaid program (income limits are more generous for children) - Marketplace plans with premium tax credits based on your modified adjusted gross income - Continuation of any current coverage you have 5. For your husband, options include: - Self-employed health insurance (which is tax-deductible) - Marketplace plans with possible subsidies - Exploring if he qualifies for any professional association group plans The most important thing now is focusing on your SSDI application. Make sure you have comprehensive medical documentation of your MS progression, limitations, and treatment history. Consider having an attorney review your application before submission, especially if the third-party company isn't SSDI-specialized.

I'm going through something very similar with my husband's recent disability diagnosis. One thing I learned that might help - when you do get approved for SSDI, make sure to apply for your children's auxiliary benefits right away. Don't assume it's automatic. We had to specifically request it and provide birth certificates and other documentation for each child. Also, regarding healthcare for your husband - since he's self-employed, he might be able to deduct health insurance premiums as a business expense, which could make marketplace plans more affordable. We ended up finding a decent plan that way, though it's still not cheap. The waiting is the hardest part. Hang in there, and don't give up if you get denied initially. Most people do, but appeals often succeed with proper documentation. Your daily symptom journal is smart - that kind of detailed record really helps show the progression and impact of your condition.