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Complete Home & Office Legal Guide
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Complete Home and Office Legal Guide (Chestnut) (1993).ISO
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medicare.tut
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#help.tut Extra help for tutorials
#define.stb On line glossary- definitions of legal terms
/* The following is information is distributed by the United
States Social Security Administration concerns Medicare.
As you will note the information refers to 1985. It is to
our understanding the most current available information.*/
INFORMATION ABOUT MEDICARE
1. Introduction
2. Hospital Insurance
Eligibility
3. Medical Insurance
Eligibility
4. Hospital Insurance
Benefits
5. Medical Insurance Benefits
6. Other Health Insurance
/*SECTION 1 */
Introduction
Medicare is a Federal health insurance program for people 65 or
older, people of any age with permanent kidney failure, and
certain disabled people. It is administered by the Health Care
Financing Administration. Local Social Security Administration
offices take applications for Medicare, assist beneficiaries in
filing claims, and provide information about the program.
Medicare has two parts; Hospital insurance helps pay for
inpatient hospital care and certain followup care. Medical
insurance helps pay for your doctor's services and many other
medical services and items.
Hospital insurance is financed through part of the Social
Security tax. Voluntary medical insurance is financed from the
monthly premiums paid by people who have enrolled for it and from
general Federal revenues.
Eligibility Requirements
For Hospital Insurance
1 If You Are Nearing 65
2 If You Are Disabled
3 Permanent Kidney Failure
If You Are Nearing Age 65
You do not have to retire to have hospital insurance at age 65.
But if you plan to keep working, you will have to file an
application in order for your hospital insurance protection to
begin. You should apply at a Social Security office about 3
months before you reach 65.
If you are receiving Social Security or railroad retirement
checks, your hospital insurance will start automatically at 65.
If you are a Federal retiree who is eligible for Medicare on the
basis of Federal employment, you will have to apply for hospital
insurance in order for it to begin at 65. Contact a Social
Security office about 3 months before 65.
If you are not eligible for hospital insurance at 65 you can buy
it. The basic premium is $174 a month in 1985. To buy hospital
insurance you also have to enroll and pay the monthly premium
for medical insurance. You can apply at any Social Security
office.
If You Are Disabled
If you are under age 65 and disabled, you will have hospital
insurance protection automatically when you have been entitled
to Social Security disability benefits for 24 months.
If you are a widow or a widower between 50 and 65 years old and
you have been disabled at least 2 years but haven't applied for
disability benefits because you are getting other Social Security
benefits, you may be eligible for hospital insurance. Contact a
Social Security office for information.
If you are a Federal employee and you become disabled before 65,
you may be eligible for Medicare on the basis of your Federal
employment. But, because of a 29 month waiting period that will
usually apply, the earliest your hospital insurance protection
could start will be June 1985. For more information, contact
any Social Security office.
Permanent Kidney Failure
If you, your spouse, or your dependent child needs kidney
dialysis or a kidney transplant, contact a Social Security office
to apply for Medicare. You can apply by phone, or a
representative can visit you to take an application if you are
unable to visit an office.
If you are eligible for Medicare, your protection will start with
the third month after the month you actually begin maintenance
dialysis treatments. Under certain conditions, your coverage could
start earlier. The people in the Social Security office can tell
you exactly when your protection will begin.
Medical Insurance Eligibility
1. Who Is Eligible
2. Who Must Apply
3. Initial Enrollment Period
Who Is Eligible
Almost anyone who is 65 or older or who is eligible for hospital
insurance can enroll for Medicare medical insurance. You don't
need any Social Security or Federal work credits to get medical
insurance.
If you want medical insurance, you pay a monthly premium for this
protection. The basic premium is $15.50 a month in 1985.
Some people are automatically enrolled in medical insurance,
others must apply. See the section entitled "Who Must Apply" for
more details.
Who Must Apply
If you are receiving Social Security benefits or retirement
benefits under the railroad retirement system, you will be
automatically enrolled for medical insurance, unless you say you
don't want it, at the same time you become entitled to hospital
insurance.
/*Thus you need to inform the Social Security Administration
if you do not require Medicare because you have adequate other
insurance.*/
You will have to apply for medical insurance if you:
- plan to continue working past age 65;
- are 65 but aren't eligible for hospital insurance;
- have a permanent kidney failure;
- are a disabled widow or widower between 50 and 65 who isn't
getting disability checks;
- are eligible for Medicare on the basis of Federal employment;
- live in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S.
Contact your local Social Security office or railroad retirement
office for detailed information about medical insurance
enrollment.
Initial Enrollment Period
There is a seven month initial enrollment period for medical
insurance. This period begins three months before the month you
first become eligible for medical insurance and ends three months
after that month. For example, if you are eligible for medical
insurance in July, your initial enrollment period starts April 1
and ends October 31.
If you don't take medical insurance during your initial
enrollment period, you can sign up during a general enrollment
period, January 1 through March 31 of each year. But if you
enroll during a general enrollment period, your protection won't
start until the following July and your monthly premium will be
10 percent higher than the basic premium for each 12 month period
you could have been enrolled but were not.
/*There is a penalty for enrolling late, so apply on time!*/
Special rules apply to workers and their spouses age 65 through
69 who have employer group health coverage. See the section
entitled "Other Health Insurance" for more information.
Hospital Insurance Benefits
1. Inpatient Hospital Care
2. Skilled Nursing Facility
Care
3. Home Health Care
4. Hospice Care
Inpatient Hospital Care
Medicare hospital insurance can help pay for inpatient hospital
care. Hospital insurance helps pay for up to 90 days in any
participating hospital in each benefit period. In 1985, hospital
insurance pays for all covered services for the first 60 days,
except for the first $400. For the 61st through the 90th day,
hospital insurance pays for all covered services except for $100
a day.
If you ever need more than 90 days of hospital care in any
benefit period, you can use some or all of your 60 non-renewable
reserve days. For each reserve day you use, hospital insurance
pays for all covered services except for $200 a day.
Covered services include semiprivate room, all meals, regular
nursing services, operating and recovery room costs, hospital
costs for anesthesia services, intensive care and coronary care,
drugs, lab tests, X-rays, medical supplies and appliances,
rehabilitation services, and preparatory services related to
kidney transplant surgery.
Skilled Nursing Facility Care
If you need inpatient skilled nursing or rehabilitation services
after a hospital stay and meet certain other conditions, hospital
insurance helps pay for up to 100 days in a participating skilled
nursing facility in each benefit period.