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age as long as they qualify for it by having
enough work credits.
For individuals who are already Medicare
beneficiaries when diagnosed with ESRD,
coverage begins immediately. For those
who are under 65 years of age and on dialysis may become entitled to Medicare
upon meeting certain conditions:
• The first month of starting dialysis as
long as you have participated in and
completed home dialysis training.
• The 4th month from when they start
dialysis if you are undergoing hemodialysis in a dialysis clinic.
• How to know “Is Medicare is right for
Me?”
The main thing to figure out if you obtain Medicare is: how will it affect your
current insurance? If you have an Affordable Care Act (ACA) or exchange plan, adding Medicare
may cause you to lose the subsidy or possibly the entire
plan itself. If you have COBRA coverage (group insurance
after employment), you may lose the COBRA policy when
Medicare becomes effective. If you have insurance through
full time employment, Medicare can assist with the out of
pocket and deductible expenses of your employer insurance plan
If you are working full time, you may want to consider
getting Medicare. But, first, figure out if it is cost-effective. Since Medicare Part B costs $121.80 per month,
on average, the total cost for Medicare over a year is
$1,461.60. If your total out of pocket and deductibles
are less than $1,461.60, getting Medicare may not be
in your best financial interest. If your deductible and
out of pocket costs are more than $1,461.60, then the
Medicare benefit can save you money. It is
important to note that Medicare will cover
80% of healthcare expenses. Without supplemental insurance, your total cost will be
the premium price plus the remaining 20%.
There also comes a point (30 to 33 months
from the time you start dialysis which is also
referred to as