Can I Get Unemployment And Be On Medicare At The Same Time?
A person who has been laid off from a job may wonder if he can collect Medicare and Unemployment at the same time. The answer depends on a person’s age more than anything else. The answer to the question is different for a person who is more than 65 years of age than it is for someone who is less than 65 years old. The guidelines for the program are relatively easy to understand.
Medicare and Unemployment: If a Person Is More than 65
A person more than 65 will not have his Medicare benefits affected if he goes on unemployment. As long as he qualifies for the program and pays the premiums, he will keep his health insurance coverage. The total amount of his unemployment benefits may reduce the amount of money in his social security check.
Unemployment, unlike social security retirement benefits, lasts a person for the rest of his life. Medicare lasts nearly as long. Long-term medical care services at the end of an individual’s life may be covered more by state-sponsored Medicaid programs rather than Medicare.
If A Person Is Under 65 Years Old
The answer to this is usually no. A person on unemployment does not qualify for Social Security and therefore cannot get Medicare benefits. A person meets eligibility requirements for the government-sponsored health insurance program if he receives disability payments for two years.
The social security rules do not let a person work more than 20 hours per week and retain benefits. Most people do not work at all while on disability. The hours worked may disqualify a person who gets laid off from a job while receiving medicare benefits as a result of social security disability payments. If there is doubt, a person should contact his or her local unemployment office.
Related posts:
- What Is Continuation Of Medicare Coverage?
- When Does Medicare Coverage Begin?
- Can Someone Under 65 Qualify For Medicare?
- What Happens When Medicare Coverage Ends?
- Are Medicare Benefits Taxable?