Medicare Part B Eligibility and Costs
If you want to receive Medicare Part B coverage, you must meet the following requirements:
- Must be age 65 or older
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. for five continuous years
If you are under the age of 65, it may still be possible to qualify for Medicare coverage. For individuals below age 65, you must meet any of the following requirements to qualify for Medicare Part B coverage:
- Diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Diagnosed with end-stage renal disease
- Current recipient of Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits
What Does Medicare Part B Cover?
Medicare Part B offers beneficiaries coverage for medical services, such as doctor’s office visits and preventive care services. These are some of the services Medicare Part B covers:
- Ambulance services
- Clinical research studies
- Radiation or chemotherapy
- Surgeries
- Diagnostic imaging
- Durable medical equipment
- Mental health services in these settings:
- Inpatient
- Outpatient
- Partial hospitalization
Medicare Part B Enrollment
The best time to enroll in Medicare Part B is during the Initial Enrollment Period.
- Initial Enrollment Periods being 3 months before your 65th birthday and end 3 months after your birth month. The period includes your birth month, leaving a total 7-month period for enrollment.
You can also enroll in Medicare Part B during the General Enrollment Period, which falls between January 1st and March 31st. If you choose to enroll during the General Enrollment Period, your coverage will start on July 1st. If you choose to enroll long after you first become eligible, you may be subject to a late enrollment penalty. Therefore, the experts at Proinsurance Hawaii suggest you enroll as soon as you are eligible during the Initial Enrollment Period.
