Medicare Eligibility For Social Security Disability Recipients

If you get social security disability income ssdi and have medicare.

Medicare eligibility for social security disability recipients.

Medicare is available for certain people with disabilities who are under age 65. But because social security only allows a maximum of 12 months of retroactive benefits plus the 5 month waiting period for benefits the earliest that you can become eligible for medicare is one year after you apply for social security disability. However medicare isn t limited to only those 65 and up americans of any age are eligible for medicare if they have a qualifying disability. These individuals must have received social security disability benefits for 24 months or have end stage renal disease esrd or amyotropic lateral sclerosis als also known as lou gehrig s disease.

Most people are automatically enrolled in medicare part a and part b once they ve been collecting social security disability insurance ssdi payments for 24 months. In the states where medicaid eligibility is automatic for ssi recipients there is no waiting period for ssi recipients to receive medicaid. You re considered covered under the health care law and don t have to pay the penalty that people without coverage must pay. Most medicare recipients under the age of 65 reach eligibility during their 25th month receiving social security disability benefits.

At the age of 65 these individuals are able to file an uninsured medicare claim which saves the state they reside in the cost of medicaid coverage. Medicare coverage for ssi recipients does not occur until an individual reaches the age of 65 if they were only entitled to receive monthly ssi disability benefits. You will get medicare cards in the mail three months before your 25th month of disability. During this qualifying period for medicare the beneficiary may be eligible for health insurance through a.

You may be eligible for the medicare savings program called the qualified medicare beneficiary qmb program which is a state program that helps pay part a premiums part b premiums and other cost sharing like deductibles coinsurance and copayments for people who have part a and. If you qualify for medicare because of a disability your initial enrollment period will begin during the 22nd month you receive these benefits three months before you re eligible for coverage. You can t enroll in a marketplace plan to replace or supplement your medicare coverage. If you don t want medicare part b you can send back the card.

Because it often takes a year or two to be approved for disability benefits however ssdi recipients often become eligible for medicare soon after they get their award letter from social security. For instance let s pretend you became disabled in july 2016. When you become eligible for medicare you ll be able to enroll in both medicare part a hospital coverage and medicare part b physician and outpatient services.