Medicare provides hospital, medical and prescription coverage for citizens and permanent residents at age 65. If your age does not allow you to qualify for medicare coverage, but you are disabled and receiving Social Security disability payments, you may qualify for Medicare. Persons with kidney failure and Lou Gehrig's disease are also eligible for Medicare. Coverage for hospital treatment is free--prescription and medical coverage is subject to a monthly premium.
Social Security Disability Recipients
If you received Social Security disability, or SSD, payments for 24 months, you qualify for Medicare. According to the Social Security Administration, you are automatically enrolled in Medicare hospital and medical coverage after receiving SSD for two years. The monthly premium due for medical coverage may be waived if you qualify according to your state requirements.
Kidney Failure And Lou Gehrig's Disease
If you are diagnosed with kidney failure or need a kidney transplant, you may qualify for Medicare coverage. To meet the requirements, you must receive SSD, receive railroad retirement pension, work in a government job for enough years to qualify for medicare, be the child or spouse of a Social Security beneficiary or the child or spouse of a person who worked in a government job and qualified for Medicare coverage.
If you have Lou Gehrig's disease and receive Social Security, you may qualify for Medicare coverage.
Coverages
Hospital visits are covered under Medicare part A. Physician visits are covered under part B. If you are age 65 and receive Social Security, a railroad retirement pension, are the dependent parent of a deceased child or worked a government job long enough to receive Medicare, you may qualify for part A. Once qualified for part A, you are automatically eligible for part B.
Part C is Medicare Advantage. Medicare will only cover a portion of your part A and part B costs. If you do not have a separate policy to cover the gap left after Medicare coverage is exhausted, part C will cover the gap. Payment of a premium may be required for Medicare Advantage coverage.
Prescription medicare coverage is called part D. According to Social Security Administration Publication Number 05-10043, you qualify for part D coverage if you are eligible for hospital or medical coverage. Enrollment in part D coverage is open to Medicare beneficiaries. If you do not have adequate coverage and delay enrollment, you may be subject to a penalty.
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