What Happens When Medicare Coverage Ends?
People who get a new career or for one reason or another no longer meet the requirements to get Social Security Disability can lose their Medicare coverage. Anybody who has had Social Security benefits for a period longer than two years qualifies for Medicare, as does anybody on Social Security who is over the age of sixty five. In the first case, Medicare coverage can end if a doctor decides that a person is no longer disabled due to a change in health. In the second case, coverage can be lowered when a beneficiary decides to purchase health insurance.
Why Medicare Coverage Can Come to and End
A person on disability who gets a new job or is no longer diagnosed as disabled will have their Medicare Coverage dropped immediately. If they still don’t have enough money to afford their medical bills, sometimes they may qualify for low-income health care options provided by the state. Their new job may also offer health insurance. If a person loses their coverage because they are no longer disabled, the only way to get it back would be to become disabled again, or to wait until the age of sixty five.
Senior Citizens Rarely Lose Medicare Coverage
A person over the age of sixty five who is on Medicare will retain their coverage if they choose to buy private insurance. When they have to pay medical expenses, the private insurance will be billed first, and the Medicare will pay for some of the additional costs, taking on a role similar to a Medigap plan. The amount of coverage they recieve depends on whether or not Medicare is their primary payer.
Running Out of Hospitalization Days
If a patient uses up the number of days that their Medicare plan covers, they will need to pay for their own medical bills until they can no longer afford to do so, in which case they will be switched to a new Medicare plan that will cover them.
Related posts:
- What Are My Main Choices For Getting Medicare Coverage?
- What Is A Coverage Gap For Medicare Prescription Plans?
- When Does My Medicare Coverage Begin?
- Does Switching Medicare Plans Affect My Coverage?
- How Can I Find Out If I Have Medicare Coverage?