About 10 million people qualify for Social Security and Medicare on the basis of a disability. Here’s what you need to know about Social Security and Medicare benefits for people with disabilities:
Apply for Social Security Disability Income at your local Social Security office or online. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to find out where to go. If you qualify for railroad disability annuity income, go to your local Railroad Retirement Board. (To learn more about Social Security disability policy and how it relates to the recent budget deal, click here.)
Medicare: You automatically qualify for Medicare when you are under 65 once you have been receiving Social Security Disability Income for 24 months or railroad disability annuity checks. And, there is a five-month waiting period before your Medicare benefits kick in. You do not need to do anything to get Medicare Part A and B. Your Part B premium will be deducted from your Social Security check. You should not turn down Part B unless you have primary insurance coverage through your or your partner’s current job and you confirm that with the employer offering the coverage and Social Security. You want to avoid being without medical coverage or paying a premium penalty for Part B. (And, keep in mind that Medicare covers only about half your health care costs, so you’ll need supplemental coverage. If your income is low, there are several programs that can help.)
If you have ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare the first month you receive Social Security Disability Income or railroad disability annuity income. There is a five-month waiting period after you are determined to be disabled until you begin receiving benefits. Be sure to make clear that you have ALS to avoid the additional 24-month waiting period for Medicare.
If you have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), you should apply for Medicare through your Social Security office, even if you are a railroad worker. Social Security will need supporting documentation about your disease from your doctor and dialysis center. When Medicare begins depends on your treatment.
- If you are in a self-dialysis training program, Medicare begins on the first day of the month you begin the program. You must begin the program before the third month of your dialysis and you will need support from your doctor that you will complete the training program and do self-dialysis. Otherwise, Medicare begins the first day of fourth month of your dialysis.
- If you are receiving a kidney transplant, Medicare begins when you begin receiving health care services for the transplant. Medicare coverage begins no sooner than the two months before the month you receive the transplant.