Thanks to access to Medicare, millions of people in the United States are able to get medical services they would not otherwise be able to get. This makes medical bills much lower for a large portion of Americans. Still, many people may lose access to Medicare for a very simple reason.
It is easily avoidable to lose access to Medicare, since for most citizens it is possible to get this medical help. If we do not meet certain conditions, receiving the card for these free medical services is actually impossible. Despite the fact that it is usual to get the medical help, there is a possibility that this may not be the case.
In order to receive any of the Medicare services, be it Part A, Part B or any of the other parts, there are several prerequisites. If we try to access the medical benefits without those prerequisites we will not be able to have our service card and, therefore, we will have to pay all the medical expenses out of our pocket.
What requirement do I have to meet in order not to lose Medicare?
If we do not meet all of these requirements before we reach age 65 we will not be able to apply for Medicare. This is important because we will lose our access to this network of medical services. At least we may lose a large part of the services, since we could get it later.
But the ideal is to have this medical access from the beginning of its availability. That is, we can have Medicare as early as age 65 if we meet the following requirement:
- Getting the minimum work credits. We usually need a minimum number of work credits. It is advisable to have the more work credits the better, but in order to be eligible for Medicare it is necessary to have a minimum of 40 work credits. For users with disabilities, this is not necessary.
- In addition, remember that most people will need to reach the age of 65 and that it is not mandatory to be enrolled in Social Security to start using these Medicare services.
If we do not reach these minimums it is impossible to get this medical help. Therefore, we can lose this if we do not meet the goals.
Can I combine it with Social Security?
Having Social Security at the same time we have Medicare is totally possible, as well as advisable. As soon as we are able to apply for Medicare we should do so immediately. This will give us many advantages in the medical field. The bills will be much lower and we will be able to enjoy an adequate medical guarantee.
Besides that, we should also remember that Medicare has 4 different parts but not all of them are free. Many citizens can get Part A and Part B for free, but the rest of the parts are always for payment.