Yes, you will automatically get Medicare if you’re disabled, but only after a certain amount of time and under certain conditions.
Typical Automatic Medicare Enrollment
Medicare enrollment typically happens when you turn 65. If you have been retired for at least four months while receiving Social Security benefits before your 65th birthday, you will receive a letter in the mail informing you of your automatic enrollment.
Why detail this if you are concerned with disability auto-enrollment? This is very important because, when you turn 65, you will no longer be enrolled in Medicare as a disabled member. Instead, your coverage will end, and you will have to enroll in Medicare yourself. Many disabled individuals do not have retirement benefits and will have to manually enroll, even if you were automatically enrolled under age 65 due to disability.
Automatic Enrollment for the Disabled
Even if you are classified as disabled by a licensed medical professional, you will not receive automatic enrollment. To be enrolled in Medicare under age 65 due to a disability, you must prove that you cannot work for an extended period.
To prove this, Medicare requires that you earn 24 months’ worth of Social Security disability payments before enrolling. Once this time has passed, you should receive a notice in the mail letting you know that you have been enrolled in Original Medicare.
How to Maintain Your Disabled Enrollment and Work
As you can see, your disability Medicare enrollment is contingent on the fact that you are unable to work. However, there are plenty of disabled individuals who work for a living but still receive vital coverage from Medicare. To maintain your initial, automatic disability enrollment, you will have to go through three steps.
The first is the Trial Work Period (TWP). Every 60 months, while receiving Medicare and Social Security disability benefits, you may choose to do a nine-month, non-consecutive work “trial” to see if you are able to work. This will not disqualify the individual from being considered disabled and receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits unless the individual shows that they can earn a living despite the disability.
Once you have completed the TWP, you move on to the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). If you pass the trial work period and can consistently work for 93+ months, you will no longer be eligible for Social Security disability benefits but may still receive Medicare under 65. After the 93 months end, you will have indefinite access to Medicare until you turn 65.
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Understanding all of your options under Medicare takes time, effort, and expert insight, and no one does it quite like Game Changing Benefits. For help with your coverage and Medicare enrollment, call us today at 972-331-1060.