Medicare Definition. Learn From Thousands of Free Online Videos and Resources. Master The Fundamentals of Finance With Finance Strategists. View Our Resources Here.
- Contact Us
Visit the Contact Us Page
Fill Out the Form to Contact Us
- View All Finance Videos
Visit Our Video Library Page
View Our Library of Animated Videos
- View All Finance Content
Visit Our Finance Learning Center
Master the Fundamentals of Finance
- View Finance Dictionary
View a Comprehensive List of Terms
The Complete Financial Dictionary
- Learn More About Us
Visit Our About Us Page
Learn More About Our Mission
- Visit Our Home Page
Visit Finance Strategists Home Page
Learn About Finance Strategists
- Contact Us
quizntales.com has been visited by 1M+ users in the past month
All-inclusive health plans. Access broad provider networks
comparison411.com has been visited by 100K+ users in the past month
Industry Experts Compare All Products Side By Side. See Our #1 Top Pick. Compare & Choose Which Service is Best Suited for You & Your Lifestyle. Get Started!
Search results
People also ask
Who qualifies for Medicare if he is under 65?
What is the eligibility age for Medicare?
How do I get Medicare if I'm a 65-year-old?
When can I sign up for Medicare if I'm 65?
Can a 65 year old get Medicare?
Who is eligible for Medicare?
Do you know what benefits you're entitled to? Our online benefits calculator can help you quickly and easily find out what you could be claiming. Get a free benefits check. Attendance Allowance. Support for if you're over State Pension age and need help with personal care because of an illness or disability. Pension Credit.
- Attendance Allowance
£72.65: Those who need help during the day or at night....
- Pension Credit
How to claim Pension Credit. To claim Pension Credit, you...
- Benefits Calculator
Our benefits calculator can tell you if you're potentially...
- Warm Home Discount
To qualify for the Warm Home Discount, you or your partner...
- Personal Independence Payment
£72.65: Enhanced: £108.55: Mobility component: Weekly rate:...
- Public Transport Concessions
You can get an older person's bus pass when you reach State...
- Blue Badge
You should automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if one or...
- Income Support
You can't make a new claim for Income Support because it's...
- Attendance Allowance
- Overview
- Early eligibility for Medicare
- Social Security, disability, and Medicare
- Eligibility for people with ESRD
- Eligibility for people with ALS
- How to enroll early
- What is Extra Help?
- Summary
Medicare usually requires that people are 65 years of age or older to qualify for a plan. However, some individuals can qualify for Medicare earlier if they have a disability or certain medical conditions.
These medical conditions include end stage renal disease (ESRD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
A person can qualify for Medicare insurance when they are under 65 years of age if they have one of the following conditions:
•a disability that a doctor can confirm in writing
•ESRD
•ALS
In these instances, a person may be able to receive Medicare Part A without paying a premium. Part A covers in-hospital treatment and long-term skilled nursing care.
They may also be able to receive Medicare Part B, which covers medical treatment and consultations, such as doctor’s visits and physical therapy sessions.
A person may have a disability that restricts their ability to work. People with these disabilities may often qualify for Social Security (SSA) or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits.
Once a person has received these benefits for 24 months, they can start a Medicare plan, even though they are under 65 years of age.
A person with a disability may otherwise have difficulty getting health insurance, as a private insurer may charge them higher premiums due to pre-existing medical conditions.
As a result, Medicare provides a more cost-effective coverage option for people who have disabilities.
Examples of disabilities that may qualify a person for Social Security or RRB benefits include:
•back injuries and other musculoskeletal issues
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the final stage of chronic kidney disease and indicates that a person’s kidneys are not functioning.
As a result, the kidneys cannot filter fluids and electrolytes while removing waste. A person with ESRD produces very little urine, if any. The waste that the body usually removes from the body in urine can build up.
This can become fatal without treatment. However, a person can receive dialysis treatments to act as an artificial kidney system and remove waste from the body. Some people with ESRD may require a kidney transplant.
Those with ESRD can qualify for Medicare if they meet the following criteria:
•They have ESRD, and their kidneys are no longer functioning.
•They require dialysis or have had a kidney transplant.
People with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, can qualify for Medicare when they are under 65 years of age.
ALS is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that disrupts a person’s ability to speak, move, eat, and ultimately breathe. The condition has no cure and is eventually fatal.
According to the ALS Association, an estimated 16,000 people in the United States have the disorder. A doctor usually diagnoses ALS between the ages of 40–70 years.
Unlike ESRD, those with ALS can receive Medicare Part A benefits in their first month of receiving Social Security or RRB benefits.
The SSA automatically enrolls a person with ALS in a Medicare plan when they start paying Social Security benefits.
According to a 2017 review in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, a person’s monthly costs with ALS under Medicare can total $10,398 during the month of their diagnosis.
A person should contact the SSA with any questions about their work history and eligibility for Medicare by visiting the “Contact Us” section of their site or calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778).
If a person receives benefits from the RRB, they can call 1-877-772-5772 to find out more about qualifying for Medicare.
Extra Help is a Social Security program that provides additional financial assistance for people of limited means who need prescription drug coverage through Medicare.
To qualify for Extra Help, an individual must have less than $14,610 in resources. Married couples who live together must have less than $29,160 in combined resources.
The SSA defines resources to include the following:
•bank accounts
•bonds
•mutual funds
People with ESRD, ALS, and certain disabilities may qualify early for Medicare.
Those with ESRD qualify after 2 months of dialysis or after taking a home dialysis training course. People who live with disabilities can apply after 2 years of receiving Social Security benefits.
Individuals with ALS, however, become eligible for Medicare at the same time they can start receiving Medicare coverage.
It is best for individuals to contact Medicare directly to discuss eligibility for their circumstances.
- Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA
Jun 12, 2024 · In most circumstances, the eligibility age for Medicare is 65 years old. However, people with certain medical conditions may be eligible for coverage at a younger age. Medicare is a...
- Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA
If you are not ready to receive Social Security benefits at 65 because you are still working, you can apply online for Medicare only. Or you may be able to wait until you retire to sign up during a special enrollment period. Learn more about how Medicare works if you are employed past age 65.
Medicare eligibility for those 65+. When you turn 65, you become eligible for Medicare if you: How you enroll at age 65 depends on whether or not you are already receiving Social Security retirement benefits or Railroad Retirement benefits.
When to sign up for Medicare. Most people sign up for Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) when they're first eligible, typically at age 65. It's important to sign up promptly to avoid gaps in coverage or late enrollment penalties.
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease). Some people get Medicare automatically, others have to actively sign up -- it depends if you start getting retirement or disability benefits from ...
