Feb 05 2009
Will Medicare Cover Me?
Many patients struggling with improper kidney function are likely to be concerned with the cost of treatment. Federal law states that you need to be a Social Security or Railroad Retirement beneficiary or be “fully or currently” insured in order to be eligible for kidney disease provisions from Medicare.
If you have at least six quarters of coverage during the entire 13-quarter in which dialysis or a transplant occurs, then you are currently insured. A fully insured patient has one quarter of coverage under the Social Security program for each year passing later than 1950, or after the year the patient turned 21 (if later), until the year that dialysis treatment begins or a kidney transplant occurs.
Under no circumstance will greater than 40 quarters of coverage be required to attain Medicare benefits.
Spouses or dependent children of an insured individual are also available for the benefits.
To get further information regarding Medicare eligibility, contact your local Social Security office. A social worker will be best suited to evaluate your individual scenario and assess whether or not you are eligible to receive Medicare benefits.