Medicare Disability Guidelines
Medicare is a public health insurance program for senior citizens and disabled people. Most people qualify to receive Medicare benefits at age 65, but if you have a disability, you might be able to qualify to enroll in Medicare before you turn 65. If you do, you are allowed to enroll in all available coverage that Medicare provides.
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Disability Benefits Guidelines
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The first requirement you must meet to receive Medicare due to disability is to be enrolled in the Social Security Disability (SSD) program. You cannot receive Medicare because of a disability if you do not receive disability benefits for at least two full years. If you have a disability that does not meet the requirements that entitle you to SSD benefits, you do not qualify to receive Medicare before age 65---even if you have paid Medicare tax. Once you have received these benefits for two years, you are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A, hospital insurance, and Part B, medical insurance. If you desire, you can also sign up for Part C, private plans with additional coverage to Part A and Part B, and Part D, prescription drug coverage.
Disability Condition Guidelines
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To qualify for Medicare based on disability, your condition must fit into the Social Security definition of disability. You can only receive benefits if your disability is long term or terminal. For the Social Security Administration to consider your condition to be long term, your doctor must expect it to last a year or more. People with short-term disabilities only qualify for Medicare at age 65. Your condition must also be severe, to such a point that you find it difficult to normally perform daily activities, such as walking, sitting and remembering.
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Work Guidelines
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Another requirement to be classified as a disabled person and receive Medicare benefits is related to your ability to work. The Social Security Administration analyzes your ability to perform the work you did before becoming disabled. If you are able to continue working at your job, you are not considered disabled for SSD and Medicare purposes. If you are not able to perform your job, they analyze your ability to do a different type of work. If you can work at something else and earn a substantial amount of money (more than $1,000 per month), you are not considered disabled. If you cannot perform another type of work, you may qualify to receive SSD benefits and eventually Medicare.
Social Security and Medicare Tax
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To qualify to receive these benefits, you must also have paid Social Security and Medicare tax. If you have not paid these taxes, you cannot qualify to receive SSD benefits, and therefore you do not qualify to receive Medicare benefits as a disabled individual. Medicare tax allows you to receive Medicare Part A benefits for free. Keep in mind that this requirement is only for receiving Medicare as a disabled person. If you reach 65 years of age and you have not paid Medicare tax, you can still purchase Medicare coverage.
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