Elder Law: About Medicare

Medicare is a federally program providing health insurance for people who are 65 or older, or for people who are under the age of 65 with certain disabilities. Medicare provides individual coverage only, and each spouse must be covered separately.To be eligible for Medicare one must be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident of the U.S. for at least 5 continuous years, at least 65 years old, or if under age 65, receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for at least 24 months, or have end stage renal disease (ESRD), or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. There are no income or asset requirements, so everyone who meets the eligibility requirements above is entitled to Medicare coverage.

Read more: http://blogs.lawyers.com/attorney/medicare-and-medicaid/elder-law-qa-what-is-medicare-37454/