Turning 65 On Med-QUEST: Can I Also Get Medicare?
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Sometimes, your age creeps up on you fast, and next thing you know, you’re old enough and eligible to receive Medicare. However, if you are already on the Hawaiian Med-QUEST program, is it possible to combine both as soon as you become eligible for Medicare?
To answer your question, yes, you can get Medicare while receiving Med-QUEST. Med-QUEST will coordinate your benefits to allow you to enjoy other healthcare coverage like Medicare. This is known as dual coverage, where one of your health plans is primary and the other secondary.
Your primary plan will pay the first part of your health bill, and the secondary plan will come in and cover the rest of your fees where the first plan did not suffice.
Before you make any final decisions, though, let’s discuss what the Hawaiian Med-QUEST program actually is and how it compares to Medicare.
What is Med-Quest?
Med-QUEST is Hawaii’s Medicaid program that is designed to assist the disabled, elderly, or blind, and anyone with a low income. Med-QUEST will help pay for:
- Nursing home care
- Home health care
- Respite care
- Adult daycare
- Personal care
It can also provide alternatives to nursing home care, such as:
- Assisted living facilities
- Community Care Foster Family Homes
- Extended Care Adult Residential Care Homes
Overall, Hawaii’s Med-QUEST program is designed to provide quality care, universal access, efficient utilization, stabilized costs, and transformation.
What is Medicare?
There are so many aspects of healthcare that Medicare covers, and it’s all divided into different parts:
- Medicare Part A provides inpatient hospital coverage. It’ll also provide coverage for skilled nursing facility care, home health care, nursing home care, and hospice care.
- Medicare Part B covers your outpatient care and other services necessary for your healthcare like ambulance services, durable medical equipment, mental health coverage, etc. Both Medicare Part A and B combined create Original Medicare.
- Medicare Advantage (Part C) is a plan that many health insurers offer that combines the benefits of Part A, B, and sometimes Part D to form one health plan. Some Medicare Advantage plans will also provide extra coverage for dental, vision, hearing, and more.
- Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs.
- Medigap plans can provide coverage for out-of-pocket costs when enrolled in Original Medicare.
Qualifying for Both
The qualifications for both of these programs are a bit different. For Medicare, most people become eligible when they turn 65. Others will become eligible if they are under 65 and have a permanent disability.
As for Med-QUEST, you will be eligible to join if you meet the monthly income and assets requirements. For example, a single individual who is 65 or older must have a monthly income of $1,235 per month or less to qualify in 2021. Single individuals can also have up to $2,000 in assets.
For couples, you can have up to $3,000 in assets and a monthly income of $1,670 or less.
If you have any more questions regarding Med-QUEST and Medicare, call us today at 808-735-0106. We will help you compare your options and get you the coverage you need!
