What Your Social Security Lawyer will Tell You about Medicare

Q: How long will I have to wait to receive Medicare coverage?
A: A social security lawyer will tell you that, if youre retired, Medicare is fairly simple. If you are 65 years old or older, and worked for at least ten years in a Medicare covered job, you will generally be eligible for Medicare even if youre working. Even if you are under 65, it is possible to be eligible for Medicare coverage if you suffer from a disability. But for these applicants, it may be a good idea to speak to a social security lawyer or advocate about several complications involved with receiving coverage for a disability.
If you dont talk to a social security lawyer or advocate when your disability first presents itself, you may not know that you will have to wait 24 months for Medicare coverage. This waiting period begins at the time you become disabled. In order to receive Medicare coverage for your disability, you are also required to be eligible for social security disability. Unfortunately, the combination of the waiting periods for both social security disability and Medicare coverage can make for a very long Medicare wait. Its generally a good idea to speak with a social security lawyer at the beginning of the process to gauge how long your wait may be.
Q: The SSA says I am short one credit to apply for disability insurance. What, exactly, do they mean?
A: Social Security Disability eligibility is a complex system (which is why its a good idea to work with a social security lawyer). For you to be eligible to be "insured" for SS Disability, you will generally (though not always) need to have earned 20 credits during the last ten years of work. This is a rolling ten year period that is supposed to end on the day that your disability is judged to have begun.
Sadly, though, the rules that go into determining how many credits you have and need for the last ten years of work makes meeting your credit requirements rather difficult. Any social security lawyer or advocate can tell you to expect this to happen if you havent worked enough. Unfortuantely, though, it can also happen when youve waited too long to apply for SSD, or when a judge has decided to change your disabilitys official onset date. In this case, you should speak to a social security lawyer to better understand you options for appeals, etc.
Q: Can I work while I have a claim pending?
A: A social security lawyer will define an SSD eligible disability as one that will prevent you from making a gainful income in your or any other field. This doesnt necessarily mean, though, that you cannot work at all. If the amount you earn falls below the income limit for "substantial gainful activity," it may not affect your claim. Talk to a social security lawyer or advocate for details.