Medicare coverage means recipients have access to hospital and physician's services.
The first Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in 1966 -- a total of 19,108,822 people age 65 and over. Medicare coverage expanded to disabled Social Security beneficiaries in 1973. The program now covers over 46.5 million recipients, including eight million disabled beneficiaries. Although most Medicare beneficiaries are also eligible for Social Security benefits, several categories of eligible Medicare beneficiaries do not qualify for monthly benefits.
Medicare for Working Disabled
Social Security disability beneficiaries receive Medicare coverage after receiving benefits for 24 months. Benefits may terminate when recipients return to work and monthly earnings are substantial. The fear of losing Medicare was a disincentive to work and becoming self-sufficient, so beginning July 1990, disability beneficiaries whose benefits terminate because of a successful return to work can purchase Medicare coverage. The beneficiary must continue to have a disability that would qualify her for benefits if she were not working. The worker must purchase Medicare Part A --hospital insurance coverage -- in order to have Part B -- the doctor bill part of Medicare. If the premiums are too expensive -- $254 to $461 monthly for both parts depending on the years of work under Social Security -- their state Medicaid program may help pay the premiums.
Renal Disease Patients
The 1972 Social Security amendments extended Medicare coverage to persons with chronic renal disease who require dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. The dialysis patient can qualify if he has worked under Social Security himself a sufficient number of years or if she is the spouse or child of an individual who worked under Social Security. The number of work years needed under Social Security varies with the worker's age. Applications can be retroactive up to 12 months. The hospital coverage is premium-free but beneficiaries must pay the Part B premium of $110.50 in 2010.
Medicare for Government Employees
Beginning January 1983, all federal employees began to contribute to the Medicare program. However, not all federal employees paid into the Social Security system and may not be eligible for benefits. State and local government employees began to pay Medicare taxes -- currently 1.45 percent of all earnings -- beginning April 1, 1986, even if their government employer had not established a Social Security coverage agreement. Although some government employees will not receive Social Security benefits based on their work, they will be eligible to file for Medicare benefits if they become disabled or when they are 65 years of age.
Premium Part A
Residents of the U.S. who are U.S. citizens or non-citizens approved for permanent residence can purchase Part A of Medicare -- hospital insurance -- upon attaining age 65 regardless of Social Security eligibility. Non-citizens must be present in the U.S. without interruption during the five years before the month first eligible for Medicare. In order to buy Part A, applicants must also purchase Part B of Medicare -- the medical insurance part that helps pay physician's fees and outpatient health-care costs. The total premium, including Part B premium, is $461 per month in 2010. The premium may be smaller if the applicant has at least seven and one-half years of work under Social Security.
Part B Only
Any citizen or legal, permanent resident of the United States can purchase Part B of Medicare if she is at least age 65, regardless of eligibility for a Social Security benefit. Non-citizen applicants must be U.S. residents continuously during the five years leading up to the month of application. To avoid loss of coverage, applicants should apply during the three months before the month they reach age 65. The premium in 2010 is $110.50 monthly, but individuals with higher income may be liable for premiums up to $253.70 monthly.
Tags: Social Security, Medicare coverage, under Social, under Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries, purchase Part, purchase Part Medicare
