Under the age of 65, certain people with disabilities are eligible for Medicare. Social Security Disability benefits must have been received for 24 months, or the individual must have ESRD or ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. To collect Social Security Disability benefits, a beneficiary must wait five months after being determined to be disabled.
As opposed to people with other causes of disability, people with ESRD and ALS do not have to collect benefits for 24 months to be eligible for Medicare.
Medicare eligibility requirements for people with ESRD and ALS are as follows:
– After a course of dialysis or a kidney transplant, ESRD usually starts 3 months after diagnosis.
– In the case of ALS, benefits should be collected as soon as possible.
A person who meets all the requirements for Social Security Disability is generally automatically enrolled in Parts A and B of the program. In addition to paying a monthly Part B premium, people who meet the standards but do not qualify for Social Security benefits can purchase Medicare by paying a monthly Part A premium.