The 24-month rule
Medicare starts in your 25th month of disability benefits. Because SSDI itself usually begins after a 5-month waiting period, that's often about two and a half years after your disability began. You don't apply separately: Social Security mails your Medicare card about 3 months before your Medicare starts. You can turn Part B down, but that can lead to a late penalty later unless you have group coverage from current work.
Faster paths
- ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease): Medicare Parts A and B start the first month you get disability benefits, with no 24-month wait, and no 5-month SSDI wait either.
- End-stage renal disease: you can get Medicare at any age with permanent kidney failure needing dialysis or a transplant, if you or a spouse or parent worked enough. It usually starts the fourth month of dialysis, or sooner with home dialysis training or a transplant. You apply through Social Security.
Oregon rules that help
- Medigap under 65: many states don't require Medigap for people under 65. Oregon does: for 6 months after your Part B starts, companies must sell you any policy they offer, without health questions, priced no higher than for someone who is 65 (OAR 836-052-0138). If you move to Oregon from a state without that protection, you get 63 days after establishing residency.
- Medicare Advantage and special needs plans: you can join a Medicare Advantage plan if one is offered in your county, and some special needs plans are designed for people with both Medicare and the Oregon Health Plan or certain chronic conditions. See plans by county.
- Help with costs: Oregon's Medicare Savings Programs have no asset limit, and the Oregon Health Plan can work alongside Medicare. Apply through ONE Oregon at one.oregon.gov or 1-800-699-9075. Working Oregonians with disabilities can also look at the Employed Persons with Disabilities program through ODHS.
Our guide to disability and Medicare in Oregon covers this in more depth. To compare options, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
Related questions
How do I sign up for Medicare in Oregon?
Automatic and manual enrollment.
What happens to my Medicare if I move to Oregon?
Plans, Medigap and the 63-day rule.
What happens if I miss Medicare enrollment?
If you turned Part B down.
Sources
- Social Security — Sign up for Medicare
- Medicare.gov — Sign up for Medicare
- Medicare.gov — End-stage renal disease (ESRD)
- 42 CFR Part 406 — Hospital insurance eligibility and entitlement
- OAR 836-052-0138 — Medicare supplement open enrollment (Oregon)
More questions in this guide
- Do I need Medicare Part B if I'm still working at 65 in Oregon?
- How do I sign up for Medicare in Oregon?
- What happens if I miss Medicare enrollment in Oregon?
- What happens to my Medicare plan if I move to Oregon?
- What happens to my Medicare if I move out of Oregon?
- When should I sign up for Medicare if I'm turning 65 in Oregon?
Part of the guide: Medicare enrollment periods in Oregon · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Does SSI give me Medicare?
No. Supplemental Security Income alone doesn't make you eligible for Medicare. Many people with SSI qualify for the Oregon Health Plan instead. Some people get both SSI and SSDI.
Can I get a Medigap policy under 65 in Oregon?
Yes. Oregon requires companies to offer every Medigap policy they sell, regardless of age, during your 6-month open enrollment after Part B starts, at no more than they charge 65-year-olds (OAR 836-052-0138).
What happens to my Medicare when I turn 65?
Your Medicare continues without a break. You get a new Initial Enrollment Period to join or switch plans, and a second Medigap open enrollment in Oregon if you first got Part B before 65.
Medicare in your Oregon county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Multnomah · Washington · Clackamas · Lane · Marion · Jackson · Deschutes · Linn · Douglas · Yamhill · Benton · Polk · Josephine · Umatilla · Klamath · Coos · Columbia · Lincoln · Clatsop · Malheur · All 36 counties →
