Are You Eligible for Medicare? If so, Here's How to Get Started

Medicare offers great coverage options to qualifying applicants, drastically reducing the amount of money one would need to pay for hospital visits, preventative care, and prescription medications. Premium Choice specializes in providing Medicare Supplemental and Advantage plans, and offers insight to help individuals know if they are eligible for Medicare and if so, how to start the application process.

Who is Eligible for Medicare?

Generally speaking, a person has to be 65 years or older, have a ten-year work history or a spouse or have a ten-year work history, and be a citizen of the United States or a resident who has lived in the United States for at least five years in order to apply for Medicare. However, there are a few exceptions to these criteria. Individuals who receive a disability pension from the Railroad Retirement Board can qualify for Medicare if they meet certain conditions. Those who have received Social Security disability benefits for at least two years can apply, as can anyone who has Lou Gehrig's disease or permanent kidney failure that requires daily dialysis or a kidney transplant. In the latter instance, there are Social Security tax requirements a person or his/her spouse has to meet to successfully apply for Medicare insurance.

How to Apply for Medicare

An application for Social Security, Social Security disability benefits, and Railroad Retirement Board benefits is automatically counted as an application to Medicare. Seniors under the age of 65 can apply for Medicare three months before their sixty-fifth birthday even if they don't intend to apply for Social Security until later. Applications should be filled out during the initial enrollment period and open enrollment period. If one does not fill out an application three months before turning 65, he or she can do so three months after turning 65, but there may be a delay in coverage.

Anyone who qualifies for Medicare automatically receives Part A benefits. Individuals who live in the United States will also be automatically signed up for Part B Medicare benefits. Those who have Part A, Part B, or both Parts A and B automatically receive Part D, which covers the cost of medications.

Part B benefits, unlike Part A benefits, are not free. Those who do not want to pay a monthly fee for Part B coverage can drop this plan; however, it is smart to consider what Part B offers to ensure one has sufficient coverage. Furthermore, seniors may want to obtain additional coverage for expenses such as dental, vision, and hearing care via an Advantage plan such as those offered by Premium Choice. These coverage options, typically referred to as Part C Medicare, are only available after one has Medicare coverage. They are provided by private companies that are approved by Medicare to offer this form of insurance.

Premium Choice encourages anyone who is able to apply for Medicare to do so as soon as possible in order to reduce medical expenses without lowering the quality of care received. What's more, the company also urges qualifying applications to consider the benefits of a Supplemental or Advantage plan to increase benefits at a minimal cost. Proper health care plays a key role in improving quality of life and enabling individuals to reach their long-term goals.