Medicare is national. And the nice thing about getting back on disability is that if you're in your 5-year Expedited Reinstatement Period and get sick again, they'll pay your benefit for up to six months while they do your review to see if you qualify for permanent benefits. And you don't have to pay it back if they deny you. The whole process took me two months (going to the SS office, filing all the forms, etc) and I think it would have been sooner if my doctor had gotten his report in more quickly. After they finally got my doctor's report, it literally took them a day to approve me.

Manicminer: it's good to hear about stories like your former boss. People like him are inspirational.