Part B provides medical insurance coverage for those who qualify.
Medicare Part B is one of four parts of the federally administered Medicare health insurance program. Eligibility requirements differ depending on a person's age and health condition. Part B provides coverage for doctors' services, outpatient hospital care, home health care (such as skilled nursing care and physical therapy), home use medical equipment (such as wheelchairs, walkers and hospital beds), ambulance services, prosthetic devices, certain preventive services (such as lab tests, mammograms, flu shots and screening inoculations) and other medical services.
Citizenship
To qualify for coverage, all Medicare recipients must be United States citizens or lawfully admitted aliens who have lived in the country for at least five years.
Age 65 and up
People ages 65 and up (or their spouses) are eligible for Part B coverage if they have worked for at least 10 years for a Medicare-covered employer. Recipients of Social Security and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits automatically get Part B after they turn 65, in most cases. Unless the recipient specifically declines to receive Part B benefits, coverage begins the first day of the month after the recipient's 65th birthday.
Under age 65
People under age 65 may be eligible for coverage if they are disabled or have been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure) and require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Recipients who receive disability benefits from Social Security (or certain disability benefits from the RRB) automatically get Part B on their 25th month of disability unless they specifically decline to receive this coverage. Persons with end-stage renal disease may sign up for coverage by contacting Social Security.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
People who have been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, are eligible for Part B at any age. Recipients with ALS automatically get Part B the month after their disability benefits begin unless they specifically decline to receive this coverage.
Premiums
Part B recipients must pay a monthly premium to receive benefits. As of January 2010, the premium was $96.40 for Social Security beneficiaries who choose to have their premiums automatically withheld from their monthly checks and have an income of less than $85,000 (or $170,000 for married couples). For all others, the amount was $110.50 per month. Medicare beneficiaries who have incomes greater than $85,000 (or $170,000 for married couples) may need to pay monthly premiums higher than $110.50.
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