Social Security disability after age 70 with kidney disease - can I switch from SS retirement to SSDI?

Since your sister is over FRA (Full Retirement Age), she can't switch from retirement benefits to SSDI. Once you reach FRA, SSDI and retirement benefits are essentially the same program with the same payment. The option to apply for disability to potentially get a higher benefit only works before FRA. Regarding medical coverage, with ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) requiring dialysis, Medicare would actually provide excellent coverage regardless of age. In fact, Medicare covers about 80% of dialysis costs. She should absolutely enroll in Medicare Parts A & B if she hasn't already, even while working. Her employer plan would coordinate with Medicare as secondary or primary insurance depending on employer size.

my sis had similar thing happen. the kidney dialysis automatically qualifies u for medicare even if ur under 65! doesnt matter if ur on SS already or not. tell her to talk to the social worker at the dialysis center they handle all the paperwork. the dialysis social worker did EVERYTHING for my sis and didnt cost her nothing. they deal with this stuff all day

Let me clarify a few things that might help your sister make better decisions: 1. Disability benefits (SSDI) convert to retirement benefits at Full Retirement Age (currently 66-67 depending on birth year). Since she's 72, she can't switch from retirement to disability - that option is no longer available. 2. For kidney failure patients, Medicare eligibility is special. She qualifies for Medicare regardless of age due to ESRD. Medicare will cover dialysis and kidney transplants with Part A and B. 3. If her employer has 20+ employees, her employer plan would be primary and Medicare secondary. If fewer than 20 employees, Medicare becomes primary. 4. The employer's STD/LTD policies are completely separate from Social Security and might still be valuable to her as income replacement if she stops working. The key decision is whether her current employer insurance provides better coverage than Medicare for her specific needs. With dialysis involved, Medicare's specialized coverage is often superior for that specific treatment.

WHATEVER YOU DO, make sure she doesn't go more than 8 months without Medicare Part B coverage once she stops working!! I made that HUGE mistake when I retired at 68 and thought my retiree insurance was enough. When I tried to get Part B later they hit me with a LIFETIME PENALTY on my premiums that I'm still paying extra for EVERY MONTH!!! It's 10% MORE for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't sign up. The SSA doesn't care about your reasons or excuses!!

Has your sister tried getting through to SSA? I had a similar Medicare question last month and called for 3 days straight before giving up. Their hold times are ridiculous!

The most important thing your sister needs to know is that for ESRD patients, Medicare covers dialysis at 80% with NO CAPS. Most private insurance has annual or lifetime maximums that she could hit quickly with ongoing dialysis. If she has Part A already, adding Part B would mean Medicare could cover her dialysis treatments regardless of her employment status. Also, make sure she looks into Medicare Advantage plans that might have better coordination of care for her complex conditions. With both kidney disease and arthritis requiring regular treatments, she would benefit from a plan that helps manage multiple specialists.

Thanks for all this helpful information everyone! I spoke with my sister and we've decided that she's going to talk to the social worker at her dialysis center first thing tomorrow. She's also going to check with her HR department about exactly what kind of health coverage she has now and what her STD/LTD options look like. We now understand that switching to SSDI isn't an option at her age, but the information about Medicare's special provisions for kidney disease patients is a game-changer. I'm going to help her enroll in Part B right away to avoid any future penalties.