Qualifying for Medicare Part D in Oklahoma

Medicare offers comprehensive coverage off all types, including Part D prescription drug coverage. Accessing it is easy once you can figure out whether or not you qualify. Qualifications for Part D are the same regardless of where you live, as Medicare is a nationwide program. However, Part D plan selections are different from region to region due to the private insurance market, so when an Oklahoma citizen makes health care decisions, they should consult local experts in order to get the most accurate assistance.

Instructions

• 1

  Make sure you qualify by confirming that you meet all of the Medicare citizenship requirements. In order to qualify for Medicare or Medicare Part D, you must be a United States citizen. Further, if you want to receive Part A for free (without a monthly premium), then you should make sure that you have worked in the United States for at least 10 years. Your employer should have paid part of your salary into Medicare taxes.

• 2

  Determine why you may be qualified for Medicare. There are four possible ways to qualify: age, disability, diagnosis of End-Stage Renal Disease and diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease. To qualify by age, you must be 65 years of age or older. To qualify by disability, you must first sign up for Social Security Disability Insurance. You become Medicare eligible after 24 months on the program. If you have End-Stage Renal Disease, you will become eligible for Medicare after four months of dialysis, when you begin a self-dialysis program or when you have a kidney transplant. Finally, those with Lou Gehrig's Disease are qualified for Medicare the first month they receive Social Security Disability Insurance.

• 3

  Check if you are in an enrollment period. You can only sign up for Part D during limited times of the year. If you have just become qualified for Medicare, then you may be in your initial enrollment period. The initial enrollment period is a seven-month period which starts three months before the first month you are eligible and ends three months after. You can sign up for Part D during this period. Otherwise, you can only sign up for Part D during the annual coordinated election period which lasts from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31 each year.

• 4

  Find out if you qualify for any programs to help you pay for your Medicare drug costs. Extra Help is a federal program that pays for many of the Part D expenses. In the state of Oklahoma, you can get assistance with signing up for these programs though you Senior Health Insurance Counseling program by calling 800-763-2828.