SSDI and Medicare timing question - do I have to take Medicare at 64 if approved for disability?

Congratulations on your SSDI approval! For Medicare eligibility while on SSDI, there's normally a 24-month waiting period from your date of entitlement (not necessarily your onset date). However, since you're so close to 65, you need to look at exactly when your entitlement date falls. Your first SSDI payment comes after a 5-month waiting period from onset, so your entitlement date would be around April 2024. That means you'd normally be eligible for Medicare around April 2026, but since you'll be 65 before then (in about 9 months), you'll just transition to age-based Medicare when you turn 65. You are NOT required to take Medicare now if you have other coverage, but you should be aware of creditable coverage rules to avoid penalties later.

im on ssdi and got medicare right away but thats becaus i have a special condition. most people wait 24 months from when benefits start. your first check comes 5 months after onset date they approved so do the math from there

When I got SSDI at 63, I was SOOOOO confused about this exact same thing!!! The waiting periods are crazy and the math gets weird when you're close to 65. I ended up just waiting until 65 for Medicare because by the time I sorted everything out, I was only a few months away. DO NOT DECLINE Part A when you turn 65 though - that's automatic with SS benefits and has no premium. Part B is what you decide on. If you have good coverage through your spouse, you might be able to delay Part B enrollment without penalties IF it's creditable coverage (ask your spouse's HR dept for a 'creditable coverage letter' to be safe).

There's a lot of confusion here. Let me clarify: The 24-month Medicare waiting period for SSDI recipients begins with your first month of SSDI entitlement (which is 5 months after your established onset date). In your case, with an onset date of 11/21/23, your first month of entitlement would be April 2024. That means Medicare would normally begin April 2026. However, since you'll turn 65 before that (in about 9 months), you'll get Medicare at 65 through the normal age route. You're not required to take Medicare at all, but there are significant penalties if you don't have 'creditable coverage' and decline it. Part A is premium-free for most people and there's rarely a reason to decline it. For Part B, if you have creditable coverage (like employer insurance), you can delay enrollment without penalty.

I was in a similar situation last year. I struggled for WEEKS trying to get clear answers from SSA about this. After being disconnected multiple times and getting different answers from different reps, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual SSA representative who understood my situation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. The service connected me to SSA in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The rep I spoke with confirmed that since I was close to 65, I would just transition to regular Medicare at 65 rather than dealing with the disability Medicare timing. They also helped me document my current coverage as 'creditable' to avoid future penalties. Definitely worth it to get a definitive answer.

From personal experience, I can tell you that you ABSOLUTELY need to understand exactly how your current insurance works with Medicare. My husband and I messed this up when he got on SSDI. We thought his employer insurance was enough, but it wasn't considered "creditable coverage" for Part D (prescription), so he got hit with permanent penalties when he finally signed up! Check if your spouse's plan is creditable coverage for BOTH Part B and Part D purposes. Get it in writing!

Everyone is COMPLICATING this!!! It's actually simple in your case - you'll just get Medicare when you turn 65 like normal. The disability waiting period won't even matter for you. BUT make sure your current insurance counts as proper coverage so you don't get penalties!!!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand that Medicare has several parts. Part A (hospital) is premium-free if you or your spouse worked enough. Part B (medical) has a monthly premium ($174.70/month for most people in 2025). Part D (prescription) also has a premium that varies by plan. You'll need to decide which parts to take and when. If you have good coverage through your spouse, you might be able to delay Part B and D enrollment without penalties, but you must have 'creditable coverage' documentation to avoid future penalties.

Has anyone told you to check with your current insurance to see how they coordinate with Medicare? Some employer plans REQUIRE you to take Medicare when eligible through SSDI or they become secondary payers! We found this out the hard way.