717.07 Medicare Part B Eligibility SR 94-04, 04/94 (FAM-A)

SSA determines eligibility for Medicare Part B. in general, Part B is provided to individuals who are:

• age 65 or older and have Part A Medicare

• age 65 or older and are one of the following:

- a U.S. citizen, or

- a lawfully admitted alien who has resided in the U.S. continuously for the 5 years preceding the month in which they applied for Part B.

• younger than age 65 who have been receiving Social Security disability benefits under Title II for 24 consecutive months.

- Medicare Part B eligibility begins on the first day of the 25th month, and ends as of the first day of the month following termination of Social Security disability benefits.

• younger than age 65 who receive monthly Social Security benefits and are eligible for Part A Medicare because of a chronic kidney disease and a qualifying Social Security work history. Children of these individuals are also eligible if the children have chronic kidney disease and require dialysis or renal transplant.

- Medicare Part B eligibility begins on the first day of the third month after the month in which kidney dialysis begins, and ends as of the first day of the 13th month after the month in which the individual had a transplant or termination of dialysis.

• younger than age 65 who have been receiving monthly Railroad Retirement disability benefits. The individual must also have been:

- actually employed by the railroad,

- classified by the Railroad Retirement Board as permanently disabled and not occupationally disabled, or

- determined by SSA to have a disability that meets SSA’s permanent disability criteria.

- Eligibility begins on the first day of the 25th month of consecutive Railroad Retirement disability entitlement.