Medicare is the insurance designed for elderly individuals that are no longer in the workforce. It is a publicly funded type of health insurance designed to help ensure that people who are not provided health insurance through an employer still have the coverage that they need to maintain their health, pay for medical expenses, and stay protected when an emergency occurs.
Knowledge of Medicare is good information to have because seniors are not the only ones that are eligible for Medicare benefits. People younger than 65 that are disabled and receiving Social Security benefits because of this can also qualify for Medicare coverage. When someone that has been receiving Medicare because of disability turns 65, they are still eligible for Medicare–just like anyone else that turns 65. However, the process can be confusing.
Luckily, not everything about it is confusing. If someone has already qualified for Medicare and there are no other changes besides age, their eligibility doesn’t change. If you’ve already had Medicare for two years, that waiting period when it comes to being fully covered for pre-existing conditions has already been met, too. And because you’re already enrolled in the Medicare program, you don’t need to enroll again. It is one of the small ways that Medicare makes the transition for someone turning 65 a little bit easier.
Navigating Medicare when a pre-existing disability is present can be confusing, but it doesn’t need to be hard to navigate.
If you want to make changes to your Medicare enrollment, during that eligibility window at age 65 can be a good time to do so. Otherwise you will need to wait for the annual General Enrollment period. This typically takes place between January 1st and March 31st. There are also special circumstances that can trigger enrollment. See the Medicare website for more information.
If you don’t already have Medicare, you can sign up for the three months before you turn 65, the month you turn 65, and for three months afterward.
Navigating the senior care system is another world of confusion and complexity. For some, figuring out what insurance you and your family need to thrive is going to be difficult. If that’s the case, figuring out senior care will likely also be tough.
And that’s okay. Odds are, you aren’t a care specialist and don’t work in the world of senior care and paying for that care on a daily basis. But there are plenty of experts out there that do work in this field.
We’re one of those experts. Paradise In-Home specializes in in-home care and how it can positively impact the people that need it. We spend our days immersed in this world because it is something that we care and are passionate about. But that doesn’t mean that everyone is–and we understand this. We have navigated these waters already to help make it easier for other people. So if you’re not sure what you’re looking to get out of senior care, please know that we’re on your side and happy to help.
Neither insurance nor senior care are things that you need to navigate on your own. Reach out today if you’d like to talk more about these topics.
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