What is Medicare?
Medicare is a national healthcare program established by the United States federal government in 1965. It’s part of the Social Security Act, which aims to provide subsidized health services for people aged 65 and above without health insurance.
Medicare is controlled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare provides health services for people with specific disabilities, end-stage renal disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Types of Medicare
Medicare is divided into four plans: Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C, and Medicare Part D. Each part has its benefits. Medicare Part A and B are free if you are a social security beneficiary.
- Medicare Part A covers hospital bills, skilled nursing facilities, and home-based healthcare services.
- Part B covers doctor visits, ambulance services, medical facilities, preventive services, and mental health.
- Part C covers dental, vision, and hearing aids.
- Part D allows the beneficiary to receive subsidized drug costs.
Who is Eligible for Medicare?
Often, many people ask about the Medicare eligibility age. However, age is not the only criteria to be a beneficiary of Medicare.
Several conditions have to be certified to be eligible for Medicare. Among them is that you must be 65 or older and have lived in the United States for more than five years. Hence, the Medicare eligibility age is 65 years and above.
However, people younger than 65 may be eligible if they receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The recipient of SSDI needs to wait 24 months after they receive their first check before they become eligible for Medicare. However, this is not required for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and permanent kidney failure.
How Do I Register for Medicare?
Registration for Medicare isn’t complex as long as you can receive Social Security benefits.
Automatically you get enrolled in two categories of Medicare: Medicare A(which takes care of your hospital bill) and Medicare B(which takes care of the cost of visiting the doctor).
To be eligible for other parts of Medicare (Medicare C and D), you must register through the Social Security Administration (SSA) official website. Kindly note that the registration must be done at least seven months before retirement.
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