Can You Get Medicare If You Get SSA Disability?

The Social Security Administration runs public programs that provide benefits to American citizens, such as disability programs, Social Security retirement and Medicare. For this reason, American citizens who work are required to pay Social Security and Medicare tax, two types of taxes that help to pay for the benefits provided through these programs.

Medicare and Social Security Disability

• If you are a recipient of Social Security Disability benefits, you can also get Medicare benefits. However, this does not mean that you can immediately enroll in Medicare. You will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B only after you receive Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months. Your Medicare coverage starts on the 25th month in which you receive benefits. If your benefits end before 24 months, you are not automatically enrolled in Medicare. This might happen if you return to work or if your condition improves over time.

Social Security Disability

• To be enrolled in the Social Security Disability program, you are required to have paid Social Security tax (and Medicare tax) for a long enough period of time according to your age. Your benefits do not start until your sixth month of disability. From the moment you become disabled to the moment you are actually eligible to enroll in Medicare, there is a period of time of at least 30 months. Your disability condition must also be considered severe and impede you from working in order to qualify you for benefits. If you qualify for benefits but you return to work at some point because your condition improved, you will lose your benefits.

Medicare After SSD Ends

• If you were receiving SSD benefits but your benefits ended because you returned to work, you might be able to buy Medicare Part A as long as you still have a disability. According to the handbook "Medicare and You," the conditions under which you can purchase Part A are that you are disabled and you must have been receiving Medicare Part A free benefits. This actually means that you must have received SSD benefits for 24 months and were enrolled in Medicare but then lost it because you returned to work. However, your Medicare benefits last up to eight and a half years more after you went back to work if you are younger than 65 years of age.

Medicare After 65 Years of Age

• If you were receiving SSD benefits and they ended because you went back to work (or your condition improved) but you are about to turn 65 years of age, your Medicare coverage will not stop and you will continue to be enrolled. Since you paid Medicare tax, your Medicare Part A will continue to be premium-free. You can also enroll for other Medicare coverage, such as Medicare Part C (private plans with more complete coverage) and Part D (prescription drug coverage).