Disability and Medicare
Medicare is a federal health program that was created to help cover medical costs for qualified beneficiaries. Medicare has three eligibility requirement categories: age, disability benefits, and certain health conditions.
In fact, if you receive disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, you may be eligible to receive Medicare while under 65.
Disability Benefits
People under 65 and who receive Social Security disability benefits are eligible to enroll in Medicare if they have received the disability benefits for at least 24 months. You will then be automatically enrolled in Medicare on the 25th month. The same applies if you have been getting disability benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board for at least 24 months.
Once you are automatically enrolled in Medicare, you will receive a Medicare card in the mail about three months before your actual Medicare coverage will start on the 25th month.
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and End-Stage Renal Disease
People with health conditions such as end-stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis do not have to wait 24 months before becoming eligible for Medicare.
Suppose you have been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. In that case, you will become eligible for Medicare if you need regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant. The coverage usually begins after the first dialysis or after three months of dialysis treatments.
For individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Medicare enrollment begins the first month after receiving Social Security Disability benefits.
What If I Want to Work?
You can definitely keep your Medicare coverage and still go back to work if you choose to do so, as long as you are medically disabled. In a case like this, you will have premium-free Part A for the first 8 1/2 years of having Medicare coverage. However, after the 8 1/2 years is over, you will have to start paying the premium. If, for some reason, you cannot keep up with the payments and need help, there are programs you can consider, such as the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program, which will help you pay your Medicare premiums as long as you are eligible for the program.
At Sims Insurance Medicare Plans, we focus on helping people find a Medicare plan that suits their needs. Contact us today at (541) 915-0939, so we can help you achieve proper coverage.
