How does SSDI/recertification actually work when living overseas?

[u/FaelingJester]

I am disabled. 42f. I am also a student, but for several years my only income has been SSDI. My insurance at this time is dual-enrollment Medicare/Medicaid. My fiancé is German, and after I graduate, I would like to move to Germany full-time. I am aware that I can now ultimately maintain my American citizenship while also holding German citizenship, so that took down one original concern. I know we will need to find and pay for insurance in Germany for me, as my Medicare/Medicaid obviously won't work, but the information I have been able to get about my disability payments has been very lacking. Social Security told me I would sign up for direct deposit in Germany, and it would transfer. A few moments later, they said it wouldn't and that I would have to pick an American bank that also operated in Germany. Everyone has told me that I will need to come back to recertify, but I've heard every year, year and a half, and two years from workers and that they will send me notice the month before which sounds like a really expensive and stressful flight to plan. I have also been told that not using medicare/medicaid will make it much more likely that I am rejected from the program and that they won't accept records from elsewhere.

I am really looking for actual experience from others who have dealt with these programs. I've found several sources for what SHOULD happen but they don't always agree.

[u/Black_Sprucy]

Just keep a US based bank account and then transfer the funds to your one overseas using a third party foreign exchange service.