HELP! I NEED MEDICARE.

"I can use a monthly cash payment to be sure. But I also need Medicare to help pay for my titanic medical bills!"

Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits come automatically with Medicare. However, Medicare coverage is not immediate. The following waiting periods apply to Medicare when you win Social Security disability benefits:

5 Month Waiting Period before any benefit begins. Your first payment will not occur for 5 full months after the onset date of your Social Security disability. This period also applies to Medicare.

24 Month Medicare Waiting Period. In addition to the 5 months, Medicare has its own 24 month waiting period, which is additional. This makes a total of 29 months before Medicare coverage becomes available. 29 months from the date of onset of disability.

For Example:

Sara is found to have become disabled on 5/11/20. That's called her Established Onset Date (EOD).

She will lose June through October to the waiting period. Her first benefit payment will be for November, 2020. This is when her benefit actually begins.

From November 2020 there is an additional waiting period of 24 months for Medicare. Thus, Sara will not be eligible for Medicare until November 2022.

The US government imposes these waiting periods for one reason: to save money.

An individual who reaches the age of 65 qualifies for Medicare by reason of age. There is no waiting period for a person who is age 65.

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Need help with Social Security disability? Need to file a new claim? Been denied and need help with your appeal? Call the Forsythe Firm for a free consultation (Social Security cases only). (256) 503-8151. Or (256) 799-0297.