Helping your parent enroll in Medicare can be a complicated process. If your parent is an immigrant, you may be wondering how that affects their eligibility for Medicare.
Immigrants do qualify for Medicare if they have established permanent legal residency in the United States. If they have residency, then the criteria for Medicare enrollment works the same as it does for other Medicare recipients: they’ll be eligible if they are 65 or older or have certain conditions or disabilities. In this article, we’ll walk you through the enrollment process and cost of Medicare for immigrants so you can help your parents get the coverage and care they need.
What are the rules on Medicare for immigrants?
In order to meet the residency requirements for Medicare, immigrants must live in the U.S. for five continuous years prior to the month of filing an application for Medicare. Once they meet the residency requirements, they’ll be eligible for Medicare if:
- They are 65 years of age or older
- Have a disability based on Social Security’s definition of disability
- Have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gherig’s Disease)
- Have end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant)
They can then enroll in Medicare during their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), the seven-month time frame that begins three months before their 65th birthday and ends three months after. In addition to their Initial Enrollment Period, they can also compare their options for coverage and enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) from October 15-December 7 each year. Once enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, they can make a one-time plan change from January 1-March 31 each year during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.
What is the cost of Medicare for immigrants?
There are many different factors that affect the cost of Medicare for immigrants, but generally, Medicare for immigrants may cost more than it does for citizens born in the U.S. Most U.S.-born citizens who have Medicare receive premium-free Medicare Part A because they paid Medicare taxes while working for about 10 years or longer. Unless your parents have an equivalent U.S. work history, they will have to pay a monthly premium for Medicare Part A. Medicare Part B also comes with a monthly premium. Other factors that may affect the cost of Medicare for immigrants include their income level, the type of plan they enroll in and whether or not they incur a late enrollment penalty.
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