How-to Enroll in Medicare if you are Disabled Skip to main content Skip to secondary menu Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer MedicareWire Best Medicare plan, cost, and enrollment tools for seniors. Speak with a Licensed Advisor[1] 1-855-728-0510 (TTY 711) Mon-Fri 8am-9pm EST, Sat 8am-8pm EST Medicare Advantage Special Needs Medigap Medicare Part D More➲ Senior Dental Plans Medicare Mistakes What Does Medicare Cover? Important Resources Frequently Asked Questions Medicare Glossary How-to Enroll in Medicare if you are Disabled by David Bynon, September 9, 2013 If you qualify for Social Security Disability income benefits due to a permanent disability, you most likely also qualify for Medicare benefits to cover your medical expenses. To qualify for Medicare Disability, most people will need to first collect Social Security Disability for two years. Medicare Disability begins when you receive your 25th payment from the Social Security Administration. However, the two-year delay does not apply to everyone. How-to Qualify for Medicare Disability Benefits If your doctor diagnoses you with a permanent condition that has left you disabled and unable to work for a period of twelve months or more, you have the right to apply for Social Security Disability. You apply through your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office, or on their website at www.ssa.gov. As long as you have worked at a legal job and paid Social Security taxes, you are eligible. There are other criteria, as well. For instance, your medical condition must prevent you from doing your normal job function, or from being employed in a similar position or even new line of work due to your age, level of education, or a physical limitation. If for any reason you do not follow your doctor’s prescribed treatment plan, the SSA may decide to disqualify you, and you can lose your Social Security Disability benefits. Most people must collect Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months before they can enroll to receive Medicare. However, some illnesses allow you to qualify immediately, such as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. If you have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare the first month that you begin receiving Social Security Disability benefits. If you live outside of the continental USA, Hawaii, or Alaska, you will receive Part A only. If you do not qualify for Medicare Disability due to a special illness, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Disability Parts A and B on the 25th of your Social Security Disability benefits. If you live outside of the continental USA, Hawaii, or Alaska, you can apply by calling or visiting your local SSA office. If you have kidney failure (ESRDEnd-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), also known as kidney failure, is a condition that causes you to need dialysis or a kidney transplant. People with ESRD are eligible for Medicare coverage regardless of age.) you must enroll in all parts of Medicare Disability manually. To do so, visit your local Social Security office, log on to www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly/ or call 1-800-772-1213 . You can enroll in Medicare Parts A, B, and/or Part DMedicare Part D plans are an option Medicare beneficiaries can use to get prescription drug coverage. Part D plans provide cost-sharing on covered medications in four different phases: deductible, initial coverage, coverage gap, and catastrophic. Each.... Medicare Part CMedicare Part C is Medicare's private health plan option. Also known as Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part C plans are a type of Medicare health plan offered by companies that contract with Medicare to provide all... is not available to those with ESRD. IMPORTANT: You have seven months to enroll, beginning the first month that you receive Social Security Disability benefits. If You Live Outside Of The Continental USA, Hawaii or Alaska If you live in a U.S. territory, automatic enrollment will be limited to Medicare Part AMedicare Part A is hospital coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. It covers inpatient care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. It also covers limited home healthcare services and hospice care. for qualified beneficiaries. Enrollment in Medicare Parts B and D is manual via telephone or a local SSA office. Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: disabled, Medicare Benefits More Posts from this Category Primary Sidebar Top 10 Medicare Mistakes Medicare Mistake #1: Thinking It’s Free! Medicare Mistake #2: Forgetting to Sign Up for Medicare at Age 65 Medicare Mistake #3: Not Signing Up for Medicare If You Have Retiree, COBRA, or Other Health Coverage Medicare Mistake #4: Joining a Medicare Advantage Plan at Age 65 if You Have Chronic Health Conditions Medicare Mistake #5: Getting the Same Medicare Plan as Your Spouse Medicare Mistake #6: Not Leveraging Assistance Programs Medicare Mistake #7: Choosing the Wrong Medigap Plan Medicare Mistake #8: Not Reviewing and Understanding Your Coverage Medicare Mistake #9: Going Out-of-Network in Your Medicare Advantage Plan Medicare Mistake #10: Costly Financial Moves when You Retire Footer [1] Licensed Sales Agent Licensed sales agent (“advisor”) services are provided by HealthCompare Insurance Services, Inc., MedicareWire’s trusted partner. Online enrollment service provided through MedicareEnrollment.com, a HealthCompare affiliate. Read our full sales agent disclosure. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day/7 days a week to get information on all of your options. [2] Trademark Notice MedicareWire uses legal U.S. trademarks to identify and describe Medicare and other insurance products for shoppers. See our full trademark use disclosure. Medicare Plan Directories Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans Medigap Plans Medicare Part D Senior Dental Plans About MedicareWire About Contact Code of Conduct MCMG Compliance Privacy California Consumer Privacy Disclosure Personally Identifiable Health Information Copyright © 2022 MedicareWire.com - All Rights Reserved Get a FREE Medigap Rate Analysis... and Save! We'll save you money with a FREE Medicare Supplement insurance rate analysis! The only way to know if you are getting the best deal on your Medicare Supplement insurance is to see all rates from all insurance carriers. That's what we'll send you when you fill out the form below. We won't spam you, call you, or sell your information. That's a promise! Complete this form and we'll email your free report in 1 business day or less. Which Plans Are You Interested In?* Plans F, G, and N (most popular) Best Plans for a Healthy Senior Best Plans for Chronic Condition(s) Best Plans on a Budget Lowest Cost Plans Not Sure Yet First Name* Age* Gender* Male Female Do you use tobacco?* Yes No City & Zip Code* City ZIP Code Email* Enter Email Confirm Email Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. CLOSE