| Generally, you are eligible for
Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least 10
years in Medicare-covered employment and you are 65
years old and a citizen or permanent resident of the
United States. You might also qualify for coverage if
you are a younger person with a disability or with
End-Stage Renal disease (permanent kidney failure
requiring dialysis or transplant). Here are some
simple guidelines. You can get Part A at age 65 without
having to pay premiums if:
- You are already receiving retirement benefits
from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement
Board.
- You are eligible to receive Social Security or
Railroad benefits but have not yet filed for them.
- You or your spouse had Medicare-covered
government employment.
If you are under 65, you can get Part A without
having to pay premiums if:
- You have received Social Security or Railroad
Retirement Board disability benefit for 24 months.
- You are a kidney dialysis or kidney transplant
patient.
While you do not have to pay a premium for Part A if
you meet one of those conditions, you must pay for Part
B if you want it. The Part B monthly premium in 2006 is
$88.50. It is deducted from your Social Security,
Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement check.
If you do not get any of the above payments, Medicare
sends you a bill for your Part B premium every 3 months.
If you have questions about your eligibility for
Medicare Part A or Part B, or if you want to apply for
Medicare, call the Social Security Administration. The
toll-free telephone number is: 1-800-772-1213. The TTY-TDD
number for the hearing and speech impaired is
1-800-325-0778. You can also get information about
buying Part A as well as part B if you do not qualify
for premium-free part A. |
