Medicare Expert Q&A: Will My Medicare Disability Benefits Change When I Turn 65?
- January 12, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
In this Q&A series, Medicare expert Christian Worstell answers your questions about Medicare coverage, benefits, eligibility, enrollment and more. Christian is a licensed insurance agent and frequent contributor to MedicareAdvantage.com.
Have a question for Christian? Ask it here.
"I lost my hearing at age 54 and qualified for Medicare because of my disability. I am now set to turn 65 next year. Will any of my Part A or Part B Medicare benefits change when I turn 65? And is there anything I will need to do?" – Donna R., Port St. Lucie, FL
Hi Donna and thanks for writing in with your question.
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No, your Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) benefits will not change when you turn 65. All of the Part A and Part B coverage you have had for the last decade will stay as is.
What may change, however, are your options for private Medicare insurance, such as Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans or Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans.
Only 10 states require insurance companies to sell Medigap plans to beneficiaries under 65 in 2020 (and your home state of Florida is not one of them).
Note: Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Supplement plans aren’t the same thing. They work in very different ways, and you cannot have both types of coverage at the same time.
Applying for Medicare Supplement Insurance at age 65
When you turn 65, you will be granted a Medigap Open Enrollment Period during which you can apply for a Medigap plan. This six-month period will begin once you turn 65 and are enrolled in Medicare Part B (which you already are).
During this period, insurance companies can’t use your medical history — like your hearing loss — as a reason to raise your premiums or deny your coverage completely. They must issue you a plan at the same rate as someone with no significant medical history.
Enrolling in Medicare Advantage or Part D at age 65
If you did not sign up for any private Medicare insurance plans during your Initial Enrollment Period when you first qualified for Medicare because of your disability, you may have another opportunity to do so during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP, also called the fall Medicare Open Enrollment Period), which takes place from October 15 to December 7 each year.
Learn more about the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plan options that are available where you live by comparing plans online for free today. You can also get started comparing plans by calling to speak with a licensed insurance agent.
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About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
