Yes. Medicare is not only for seniors but also for those with disabilities and chronic conditions. The aim is to make healthcare affordable for those who need it the most.
Once you have been receiving disability benefits for 24 months, you’re eligible for Medicare benefits. If you have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), you can begin receiving Medicare benefits the month you first receive disability benefits. If you have End-Stage Renal Disease, you can first receive Medicare benefits four months after you begin a regular course of dialysis treatments.
You can receive Medicare benefits if you are under 65 if you qualify due to a disability or chronic condition. If you are entitled to Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits on the basis of disability, you automatically receive Medicare benefits after 24 months. If you are a former state, federal, or local government employee who is not eligible for benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, you may get entitlement to Medicare benefits and automatically get Part A after being disabled for 29 months.
About Automatic Enrollment
People who have been receiving disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board for 24 months will be automatically enrolled in Medicare. Their coverage begins in the 25th month of receiving disability benefits.
People with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) receive Medicare benefits in the first month of receiving disability benefits. They are automatically enrolled.
Automatic enrollment constitutes Part A, hospital insurance. Part B must be purchased, as it comes with monthly premiums for all Medicare beneficiaries.
People with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) are not automatically enrolled. They can choose to sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B: Part B will provide the critical outpatient coverage needed for dialysis treatments. For ESRD, coverage is retroactive. This means that from the time of enrollment, Medicare coverage will begin up to 12 months prior to enrollment. Coverage begins in the fourth month of dialysis treatments or in the first month if the patient is trained for in-home dialysis.
Premium-Free Part A
Most people who qualify for Medicare due to a disability do not have to pay premiums for Part A coverage. If you qualify after receiving disability benefits for 24 months, you qualify for premium-free Part A. If you qualify due to having ALS, you qualify for premium-free Part A.
People with End Stage Renal Disease may qualify for premium-free Part A if they receive regular dialysis or a kidney transplant, have filed an application for Medicare, and meet one of the following conditions:
- They have worked for 10 years (40 quarters) while paying taxes to Social Security or were a government employee
- They are receiving or are eligible for retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board
- They are the spouse or dependent child of someone who has worked for 10 years (40 quarters) while paying taxes to Social Security or who is receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board
Let The Fussell Group Insurance Advisors Be Your Guide
We’re here to answer your questions about Medicare and can be reached at 1-877-874-0711.