If you are a disabled person, living in the US, less than 65 years of age, and considering the possibility of getting a Medicare Supplement plan (also called Medigap), you will have to first check out your eligibility for a Medicare Supplement plan insurance policy. Despite the fact that federal law does not make it obligatory for insurance companies to sell Medigap policies to people who are more than 65 years of age, some states sell Medicare Supplement plans for disabled under 65, in certain situations.
If you are thinking of getting a Medicare Supplement plan, you apparently know already that these policies are basically an addition to Original Medicare coverage. As such, these policies require your enrollment in Part A and Part B in order to be eligible. Moreover, you will also be required to stay enrolled in Original Medicare for your hospital and medical coverage.
It is also pertinent to remember that Medicare Supplement plans essentially help you with some specific out-of-pocket costs which are not covered by Original Medicare. Therefore, standalone health coverage is not provided to the beneficiaries under Medicare Supplement plans; and these plans also do not include prescription drug benefits.When you check out the availability of Medicare Supplement plans for disabled under 65, you will find that you are eligible for these plans if you have Original Medicare due to disability, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, not all US states offer the advantage of Medicare Supplement plans to under-65 people with disabilities. As such, your eligibility for Medicare Supplement coverage would largely depend on the state of your current residence.
At present, the states in which Medicare Supplement plans for under-65 disabled people are available include Colorado, Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin.
But, in the mentioned list of states in which the benefits of Medicare Supplement plans can be availed by under-65 people with disabilities, California, Massachusetts and Vermont do not presently have any policies for under-65 people who have ESRD. On the other hand, in Delaware, Medicare Supplement policies are currently available only to under-65 people with ESRD.
Overall, in case Medicare Supplement plans are available to under-65 people with disabilities in your state, you can consider buying a plan, provided that you are aware of the fact that there are some variations in the regulations that govern Medicare Supplement insurance for disabled beneficiaries. Hence, when you are thinking of buying Medicare Supplement plans for disabled under 65, you should be prepared for two main things — firstly, it may not be possible for you to buy the plan you want because the plans largely depend on the state you live in and on the rights that you are guaranteed under state law; and, secondly, you may not get the best rate when you buy a plan because the cost of the policies is generally more when they are sold to people under 65 as compared to those above age 65.
