What Are the Requirements to Receive Medicare Benefits?

Medicare provides health insurance for senior citizens and people who have a disability and receive Social Security Disability benefits. If you or your spouse have paid Medicare tax, Medicare Part A is free. Although income is not a requirement to enroll in Medicare, you do have to pay premiums for Medicare Parts B, C and D if you want to receive coverage. If you have low income, states have programs that help you pay these premiums.

Medicare Part A Requirements

• To enroll in Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), you must be 65 years of age or disabled and receiving disability benefits for at least 24 months. To receive premium-free Medicare Part A coverage, you (or your spouse) are required to have paid Medicare tax while working. Otherwise, if you are older than 65 years of age and you are enrolling in Medicare Part B (medical insurance), you can buy Medicare Part A. You must also be considered a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident to be eligible to enroll in Medicare Part A.

Medicare Part B Requirements

• The requirements to enroll in Medicare Part B include that you are entitled to receive Medicare Part A. It follows that you must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. You are also required to pay monthly premiums for Medicare Part B coverage. If you have higher income than most Medicare beneficiaries, you are required to pay higher monthly premiums. If you are not eligible to enroll in Medicare Part A for free, you can buy Part B without buying Part A if you are older than 65 years of age and are a U.S. citizen. If you are a noncitizen, you are required to be older than 65 years of age, to have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and to have been legally admitted to the country in order to enroll in Part B.

Medicare Part C Requirements

• To enroll in Medicare Part C (Advanatge Plans provided by private companies), you are required to be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. You are also required to pay monthly premiums for Medicare Part C coverage. You can only enroll during the enrollment periods. This means that you can enroll during the initial enrollment period, which is when you turn 65 years of age (from three months before your birth month to three months after your birth month) or you can enroll during the general enrollment period, which, as of 2011, starts on October 15th and it lasts until December 7th.

Medicare Part D Requirements

• Medicare Part D provides prescription drug coverage. You are required to be enrolled in Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B to be able to enroll in Medicare Part D. Part D also requires payment of monthly premiums associated with its coverage. You are required to enroll in a Part D plan during the same enrollment periods for Part C. However, if you choose to enroll during the general enrollment period and you do not have another accredited prescription drug coverage policy, you are required to pay a late enrollment penalty for every month you have Part D coverage.