Being knowledgeable about Medicare eligibility will help you get the healthcare benefits best suited for your needs. Medicare can also be a tremendous help in saving you money, as healthcare costs can be steep. This knowledge will help you in preventing late fees.

Who gets Medicare?

Medicare is available for those who are 65 and older. Those who are in certain circumstances may also be eligible for Medicare before turning 65.

What are the exceptions to the age requirement?

You can receive Medicare under the age of 65 if:

• Having benefits from Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board
• Being on disability for 24 months
• You have ALS, also known as Lou Gherig’s disease
• You are waiting to receive a kidney transplant, or you are placed on dialysis due to End-Stage Renal Failure

Requirements for Individual Medicare Plans

Medicare consists of Parts A, B, C (also known as the Medicare Advantage Plan), and D. These each have their own requirements in terms of what you pay and how you obtain them.

These are the requirements for those plans:

• Plan A – You can receive this at no extra cost if you or your spouse have been employed for at least ten years, and you have signed up during the initial enrollment period. Here, you are qualified for the premium-free version because the costs have been covered by what you have paid through taxes. If you have not worked for the minimum ten years, then you will need to buy Plan A, and for this, you will be paying $400 or more per month.
• Part B – This is not premium-free, regardless if you or your spouse have worked for ten or more years. This plan must be purchased. This can also be purchased by itself and does not require enrollment in other forms of Medicare.
• Part C (Medicare Advantage Plan) – You are only eligible if you have both Parts A and B. You cannot disenroll from either Part if you wish to remain eligible for the Medicare Advantage Plan.
• Part D – You are required to have enrolled in Part A or Part B first. You cannot enroll in Part D without enrolling in another form of Medicare coverage.

If you have any questions

When you’re eligible for Medicare, there are a lot of options available to you. There are many with their own advantages, and the selection process can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in. We aim to help you get the best healthcare possible for the least amount of money, so give us a call today at (509) 993-9887.