Can I get Medicare coverage for my children?

Yes, it is very possible to receive Medicare coverage for your child. Most people believe that Medicare does not offer coverage for family members which is true but there are certain specific situations where it might be possible to get coverage for your child. Stay right here and get to learn all about the Medicare coverage for children.

But before we get to that, did you know that there are new Medicare advantage plans for 2020? There will be changes that are going to affect those who will be enrolling for Medicare as from next year and probably for the future generations. When the Medicare advantage plans for 2020 takes effect, there will be introduction of a new plan G which will be very beneficial but that is a topic for another day. Let us get back to our topic of discussion.

Medicare coverage for children

Your children are eligible for Medicare if they meet certain conditions or if they are in certain situations. It happens mostly if the child is critically ill. Your child will be eligible for Medicare if:

• If he has a renal disease at the end stage and he is receiving SSA benefits as of now, the child can be eligible for Medicare.
• If your kid is suffering from ESRD that he requires some dialysis from time to time, or kidney transplant then he or she might qualify for Medicare.
• If your child has a disability that results from entitlement of social security disability insurance payments, it is possible that he gets Medicare.

For him to qualify for Medicare, he must have received the social security disability insurance benefits for not less than two years. If your child is over 20 years, then to apply for Medicare he must be disabled, and have been receiving the disability benefits for more than 24 months (2 years). Meaning that he will qualify for Medicare just before he turns 22.

Relationship requirements that must be met for your child to qualify for Medicare.

• It is a must that the child is related to you either by birth or you have adopted him legally.
• Some exceptions might be made if the child is your stepchild for more than one year.
• The benefits will still be available for your adult children but they must remain disabled and should not get married, that is if your child wants to continue using the benefits of Medicare.

Medicare waiting for children

Once your child qualifies for Medicare and you apply successfully there is usually a 2 to 3 year wait for the ones with disability. And if your child is born with Disability you will have to wait until his or her second year birthday, and from now he can start receiving Medicare. But for children suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease or end stage renal disease, there is normally no waiting period.

Your kid will be eligible for Medicaid if he does not have any disease or severe/chronic condition. Medicaid is an option for the kids who are at the federal poverty level of 133 percent but it is not always like that because in most states, children that are at families with higher income levels are covered too.

Your child will also be eligible for the children’s health insurance program (CHIP) which was created to provide the insurance benefits to all children through Medicaid or certain CHIP programs. The CHIP program usually covers the child until he or she is 19 and from there he can qualify for Medicaid.

 If your child is disabled but he is capable of working, he will undergo a trial work period of nine months. And if he continues to work after the 9 months, then he or she will enjoy the Medicare for the following 7 years or it can be more. After the 7 years, he will be considered a Medicare enrollee, not a Medicare beneficiary. This means that he or she will need to pay in order to continue using Medicare coverage.