Individuals below the age of 65 with certain disabilities may qualify for Medicare. To be eligible, they must have received Social Security Disability benefits for two years, or they must be diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. After a disability determination, beneficiaries face a waiting period of five months before receiving Social Security Disability benefits.
Unlike individuals with other disability reasons, people with ESRD or ALS are not required to wait 24 months to qualify for Medicare coverage.
The Medicare qualification criteria for individuals with ESRD and ALS are detailed below:
- Typically, coverage for ESRD begins three months post-diagnosis, following a period of dialysis or post-kidney transplant
- For ALS patients, it is important to commence benefit collection without delay.
An individual who satisfies the conditions for Social Security Disability is usually automatically signed up for Medicare Part A and Part B. For those who fit the eligibility requirements but do not receive Social Security benefits, Medicare can be purchased by paying for both a monthly Part A premium and the standard monthly Part B premium.
