Social Security Disability to Medicare transition - what happens when SSDI recipient turns 65?
My sister has been receiving SSDI benefits for the past 9 years after a serious car accident. She's turning 65 this December and I'm trying to help her figure out what happens next. Does she need to apply for regular Social Security retirement or does SSDI automatically convert? Also confused about Medicare - she already has Medicare through her disability, so does anything change there when she hits 65? Should she be calling SSA to set something up, or will they reach out to her with instructions? Thanks for any guidance!
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Aisha Ali
Your sister doesn't need to do anything - her SSDI will automatically convert to retirement benefits when she reaches her Full Retirement Age (FRA). Since she's already on Medicare through SSDI, that continues without any action needed. The only thing she might want to consider is whether to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan if she doesn't already have one, as her healthcare needs might change as she gets older.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Thank you! That's a relief. Do you know if her benefit amount will stay exactly the same when it converts? I've been worried she might see a reduction.
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Ethan Moore
My husband went through this last year!!! When he turned 65 nothing really changed with his payments. They just started calling it retirement instead of disability. BUT they did send him some papers about 3 months before his birthday. Make sure your sister watches her mail and fills out anything they send!!!
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Yuki Nakamura
•Did they change the payment date?? Im on SSDI too and I get paid on the 3rd Wednesday. Im turning 65 next year and I have all my bills set up around that payment date!!
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StarSurfer
To clarify some things: SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits at Full Retirement Age (FRA), not necessarily at 65. For people born between 1943 and 1954, FRA is 66. For those born between 1955 and 1960, it gradually increases to 67. The benefit amount remains exactly the same - there's no reduction or recalculation. As for Medicare, if she's been on SSDI for 9 years, she's already had Medicare for at least 7 years (it starts after 24 months of SSDI eligibility). Nothing changes with her Medicare at 65 - no new enrollment needed. The SSA should send a notice about the conversion a few months before her FRA. She doesn't need to contact them, but it never hurts to call and confirm everything is set to transition properly.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•This is SO helpful, thank you! I didn't realize FRA might not be exactly 65 - I'll check what her specific FRA is. She was born in 1960, so sounds like it might be 67? Does that mean the conversion happens at 67, not 65?
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StarSurfer
Yes, if she was born in 1960, her FRA is 67, and that's when her SSDI will convert to retirement benefits. Again, the amount stays the same, and her Medicare continues unchanged.
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Carmen Reyes
•Don't forget about the Medicare Part B premiums that get deducted from her benefit! When I converted from SSDI to retirement, my premium went up because they reassessed my income. Tell your sister to watch for any letters from Medicare about Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) if her income is above certain thresholds.
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Yuki Nakamura
I had the same qyestion last year for my wife turns out they just change the name of your benefit from dissability to retiremint you don't have to do anything and the amount stays the same
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Andre Moreau
When your sister turns 65, she should definitely look into Medicare Advantage plans! I switched from original Medicare when I turned 65 last year and now I get dental and vision coverage too!
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Medicare Advantage plans aren't always better! They limit your doctors and hospitals. I kept original Medicare and got a supplement plan instead. Tell your sister to research carefully!!
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Aisha Ali
Just to address the payment date question someone asked: When SSDI converts to retirement, your payment date can change. SSDI payment dates are based on your birthday (1st-10th: second Wednesday, 11th-20th: third Wednesday, 21st-31st: fourth Wednesday). But retirement benefits for people who started receiving before May 1997 follow a different schedule based on the birthdate of the person on whose record you receive benefits. It's worth calling SSA to confirm if/how her payment date might change.
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Ethan Moore
If your sister needs to talk to someone at Social Security about the transition or has questions, good luck getting through on the phone! I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to a real person when my husband was transitioning. So frustrating!!!
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Carmen Reyes
•Try using Claimyr.com - it helped me get through to an SSA agent in less than 20 minutes when I had questions about my benefit conversion. They call SSA on your behalf and connect you when they reach a representative. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU
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Andre Moreau
My brother just went thru this! Something no one mentioned yet - he had to decide about Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) when he turned 65 even though he already had Medicare from SSDI. Apparently there's some special enrollment period when you turn 65 even if you already have Medicare!
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StarSurfer
•This isn't quite accurate. If she already has Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage through SSDI, nothing changes at 65. There's no special enrollment period needed. She can change plans during the annual Open Enrollment (Oct 15-Dec 7) like anyone else, but there's no requirement to do anything with Part D specifically at 65 if she's already enrolled through SSDI.
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