Minnesota Health Care Programs
1.7 Help Paying for Medicare Costs
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for most people age 65 or older, people who are certified disabled, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant). The Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) determines who is eligible for Medicare. Medicare eligibility usually begins the month a person turns age 65. People who have been certified disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) have a 24 month waiting period before Medicare coverage can start.
1.7.2 Direct Reimbursement of Medicare Premiums