Medicare Eligibility For Social Security Disability Recipients

Disability benefits from social security for 24 months.

Medicare eligibility for social security disability recipients.

You can t enroll in a marketplace plan to replace or supplement your medicare coverage. In the states where medicaid eligibility is automatic for ssi recipients there is no waiting period for ssi recipients to receive medicaid. Most medicare recipients under the age of 65 reach eligibility during their 25th month receiving social security disability benefits. You re considered covered under the health care law and don t have to pay the penalty that people without coverage must pay.

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. 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. 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. Medicare is available for certain people with disabilities who are under age 65.

For instance let s pretend you became disabled in july 2016. The first 24 months of disability benefit entitlement is the waiting period for medicare coverage. During this qualifying period for medicare the beneficiary may be eligible for health insurance through a. 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 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. You will get medicare cards in the mail three months before your 25th month of disability. 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. 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.

If you don t want medicare part b you can send back the card. Everyone eligible for social security disability insurance ssdi benefits is also eligible for medicare after a 24 month qualifying period. 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.