Must Medicaid-Covered Medicare Beneficiary Sign Up for Medicare Parts B and D?
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Question:
My son receives SSDI and currently has Medicaid. He will be enrolled in Medicare effective January 1st. Is he required to purchase part B and part D or will his Medicaid continue to cover all expenses?
Response:
Part B, yes; Part D, no. As you know, anyone receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) also qualifies for Medicare after two years. With few exceptions, everyone who qualifies for Medicare must sign up for Part B. Part D coverage of drug costs is optional, though everyone should have it. Your state Medicaid program will have a system for signing your son up for Part D. Since your son will be “dually eligible” for Medicaid and Medicare benefits, Medicaid also may pay his Part B premium, as well as co-payments and deductibles, as a “qualified Medicare beneficiary.” There’s more information about this here. I’d recommend contacting your state Medicaid agency in advance to see exactly how this will work.
