SSDI and Medicare co-pay insurance

[palmtree]

Hi, I am on SSDI and 60 years old. I was always under the impression that Medicare supplements are not available until you are 65. Is that still true? I investigated it years ago and it was so expensive and the coverage so limited that it was not even a possibility.

What do you know about this?

[Rich Feingold]

Here's some information from Medicare.gov, palmtree: http://www.medicare.gov/supplement-o...s-medigap.html.

The page does state, in part: "8 things to know about Medigap policies - You must have Medicare Part A and Part B."

Happy hunting for you on this interesting and important topic.

Rich

[palmtree]

Thank you, Rich. I investigated and it doesn't look very promising until I am 65.

[thelegendlc]

Medigap Coverage

If you are receiving SSDI payments and are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B you are eligible to purchase a Medigap policy. It doesn't matter how old you are. A Medigap policy is very essential as it will pick up the deductibles and coinsurance that come with the Medicare program. He

[JenAM]

It varies by state. My state doesn't require companies to offer medigap policies to people under 65. So I'm out of luck as I'm 55, it's going to be awhile unless I move to a state that requires it to be offered.

[MSer102]

It varies by state. My state doesn't require companies to offer medigap policies to people under 65. So I'm out of luck as I'm 55, it's going to be awhile unless I move to a state that requires it to be offered.

It does vary by state. The Medicare website says:

Medigap Policies For People Under Age 65 With A Disability or End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
You may have Medicare before age 65 due to the following:

A disability, or
ESRD (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant).

If you are under age 65 and disabled or have ESRD, you may not be able to buy the Medigap policy you want until you turn 65. Federal law doesn't require insurance companies to sell Medigap policies to people under age 65. However, some states require insurance companies to sell you a policy, at certain times, even if you are under age 65.

Insurance companies cannot refuse to sell you a Medigap policy due to a disability or other health problem, or charge you a higher premium than they charge other people who are 65 years old.

Several states require Medigap insurance companies to offer a limited Medigap open enrollment period for people with Medicare Part B who are under age 65. The following states require insurance companies to offer at least one kind of Medigap policy during a special open enrollment period to people with Medicare under age 65:

California Connecticut Kansas
Louisiana Maine Maryland
Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota
Missouri Mississippi New Hampshire
New Jersey New York North Carolina
Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania
South Dakota Texas Washington
Wisconsin

Also, some insurance companies will sell Medigap policies to people with Medicare under age 65. However, these policies may cost you more. Remember, if you live in a state that has a Medigap open enrollment period for people under age 65, you will still get another Medigap open enrollment period when you turn age 65.

A Medigap policy can be nice to have but it might not be essential especially if the policy costs more than the deductibles and copayments it's supposed to cover.