Yes. When you can’t work because of bad health, you need health care coverage more than ever. But if you’ve lost or left your job, you can’t get coverage through work. Social Security recognizes this riddle and offers eligibility for government-run health care when you qualify for disability benefits.
With Social Security Disability Insurance, you qualify for Medicare health coverage after a two-year waiting period. That seems like a long time, but you can get credit for the time you spend waiting for approval of disability benefits, so by the time you receive benefits the remaining wait may be much shorter.
With Supplemental Security Income, you qualify for Medicaid health care coverage as soon as you qualify for disability benefits.