(a) Requirements. An individual is entitled to hospital insurance benefits under section 226 of the Act if he or she has attained aged 65 and is:

(1) Entitled to monthly social security benefits under section 202 of the Social Security Act;

(2) A qualified railroad retirement beneficiary who has been certified as such to the Social Security Administration by the Railroad Retirement Board in accordance with section 7(d) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974; or

(3) Effective January 1, 1981, eligible for monthly social security benefits under section 202 of the Act and has filed an application for hospital insurance.

(b) Beginning and end of entitlement. (1) Entitlement begins with the first day of the first month in which the individual meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) Entitlement continues until the individual dies or no longer meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section. An individual is not entitled to railroad retirement benefits and is neither entitled to, nor eligible for, monthly social security benefits in the month in which he or she dies. However, an individual who meets all other requirements for hospital insurance entitlement is entitled to hospital insurance in the month in which he or she dies if he or she—

(i) Would have been entitled to monthly railroad retirement benefits or social security benefits in that month if he or she had not died; or

(ii) Has filed an application for hospital insurance and would have been eligible for monthly social security benefits in that month if he or she had not died.

(a) Basis. Section 103 of the law that established the Medicare program in 1965 (Pub. L. 89-97) provided for eligibility for certain individuals who were age 65 or would soon attain age 65 but would not be able to qualify for social security or railroad retirement benefits.

(b) Requirements. Unless he or she is excluded under paragraph (c) of this section, an individual age 65 or over who does not meet the requirements of § 406.10 or § 406.15 (and who would not meet those requirements if he or she filed an application), is entitled to Medicare Part A benefits if he or she meets the following requirements:

(1) Age and quarters of coverage. (i) He or she attained age 65 before 1968; or

(ii) If he or she attained age 65 in 1968 or later, he or she must have at least 3 quarters of coverage for each year that elapsed after 1966 and before the year in which he or she attained age 65. (The quarters of coverage may have been acquired at any time, not necessarily during the elapsed years.)

(2) Residence and citizenship. He or she is a resident of the United States and—

(i) A citizen of the United States; or

(ii) An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence who has continuously resided in the United States for 5 years immediately preceding the first month in which he or she meets all other requirements for entitlement to hospital insurance.

(3) Application. He or she has filed an application for Medicare Part A no earlier than the third month before the first month of eligibility.

(c) Bases for exclusion. An individual who meets the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section is excluded from Medicare Part A if he or she—

(1) Has been convicted of spying, sabotage, or treason, sedition, and subversive action under chapter 37, 105, or 115 of title 18 of the United States Code;

(2) Has been convicted of conspiracy to establish a dictatorship under section 4 of the Internal Security Act of 1950;

(3) On February 16, 1965, was or could have been covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act (FEHBA) of 1959; or

(4) In his or her first month of eligibility;

(i) Is covered by an enrollment under the FEHBA; or

(ii) Could have been covered by an enrollment under that Act if he or she (or any other person who could provide him or her with coverage) was a Federal employee at any time after February 15, 1965, and had enrolled and retained coverage under that Act.

(d) End of exclusion. An individual excluded under paragraph (c)(3) or (4) of this section can become entitled beginning with the first month in which he or she loses the right to FEHBA coverage solely because he or she or the other person leaves Federal employment.

(e) Beginning and end of entitlement. (1) Entitlement begins—

(i) In the first month of eligibility if the application is filed no later than 12 months after the first month of eligibility:

(ii) In the 12th month before the month of application if the application is filed more than 12 months after the first month of eligibility.

(2) Entitlement continues until death or until the month before the month in which the individual becomes entitled under § 406.10 or § 406.15.

(a) Basic requirements. An individual under age 65 is entitled to hospital insurance benefits if, for 25 months, he or she has been—

(1) Entitled or deemed entitled to social security disability benefits as an insured individual, child, widow, or widower who is “under a disability” or

(2) A disabled qualified beneficiary certified under Section 7(d) of the Railroad Retirement Act.

(b) Previous periods of disability benefits entitlement. Months of a previous period of entitlement or deemed entitlement to disability benefits count toward the 25-month requirement if any of the following conditions is met:

(1) Entitlement was as an insured individual or a disabled qualified railroad retirement beneficiary, and the previous period ended within the 60 months preceding the month in which the current disability began.

(2) Entitlement was as a disabled child, widow, or widower, and the previous period ended within the 84 months preceding the month in which the current disability began.

(3) The previous period ended on or after March 1, 1988 and the current impairment is the same as, or directly related to, the impairment on which the previous period of entitlement was based.

(c) Deemed entitlement to disabled widow's or widower's monthly benefits—(1) Purpose. The provisions of paragraphs (c) (2), (3), and (4) of this section are intended to enable individuals—

(i) To meet the 25-month requirement of paragraph (a) of this section; or

(ii) To retain hospital insurance entitlement when they are no longer entitled to monthly disability benefits.

(2) Deemed entitlement for certain individuals entitled to old-age insurance benefits. An individual who becomes entitled to monthly old-age insurance benefits before age 65, is, by law, precluded from establishing or retaining entitlement to disabled widow's or widower's monthly benefits. However, for purposes of meeting the 25-month requirement, a widow or widower who meets all other requirements for disability benefits and is excluded solely because of entitlement to old-age insurance benefits, shall be deemed to be (or to continue to be) entitled to disability benefits. A widow or widower who is not entitled to disability benefits for the month before attaining age 60 must file two applications, one for old-age insurance benefits and one for hospital insurance.

(3) Deemed entitlement for certain individuals entitled to mother's benefits. An individual entitled to mother's insurance benefits under section 202(g) of the Social Security Act cannot at the same time be entitled to disabled widow's benefits. However, if she applies for hospital insurance, she will be deemed to be entitled to disabled widow's monthly benefits in the first month (of the 12 months before application) in which she would have been entitled to those benefits if she had filed an application for them.

(4) Deemed entitlement for certain individuals entitled to father's benefits. An individual who is entitled to father's insurance benefits under section 202(g) of the Act cannot at the same time be entitled to disabled widower's benefits. However, if he applies for hospital insurance benefits, he will be deemed to be entitled to disabled widower's monthly benefits as follows:

(i) If he applied for hospital insurance benefits before May 1984, he was deemed entitled to disabled widower's benefits for any month after April 1981 for which he would have been entitled to those benefits if he had filed an application for them.

(ii) If he applies for hospital insurance benefits in or after May 1984, he is deemed entitled to disabled widower's benefits for any month, up to 12 months before the month of application, for which he would have been entitled to those benefits if he had filed an application for them.

(iii) Hospital insurance entitlement under this paragraph (c)(4) could not begin before May 1983.

(5) Deemed retroactive entitlement for certain disabled widows and widowers. In some cases, disabled widows or widowers cannot become entitled to monthly cash benefits before the month in which they file application. However, for purposes of meeting the 25-month requirement, disability benefit entitlement will be deemed to have begun with the earliest month (of the 12 months before the application for cash benefits) in which the individual met all the requirements except the filing of an application. (This provision is effective for applications filed on or after January 1, 1978.)

(d) When entitlement begins and ends. (1) Entitlement to hospital insurance begins with the 25th month of an individual's entitlement or deemed entitlement to disability benefits. Although an individual is not entitled to disability benefits for the month in which he or she dies, for purposes of this paragraph the individual will be deemed to be entitled for the month of death.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, entitlement to hospital insurance ends with the earliest of the following:

(i) The last day of the last month in which he or she was entitled or deemed entitled to disability benefits or was qualified as a disabled railroad retirement beneficiary, if he or she was notified of the termination of entitlement before that month.

(ii) The last day of the month following the month in which he or she is mailed a notice that his or her entitlement or deemed entitlement to disability benefits, or his or her status as a qualified disabled railroad retirement beneficiary, has ended.

(iii) The last day of the month before the month he or she attains age 65. (An individual who is entitled to social security or railroad retirement cash benefits for the month of attainment of age 65 is automatically entitled to hospital insurance under § 406.10.)

(iv) The day of death.

(e) Continuation of Medicare entitlement when disability benefit entitlement ends because of substantial gainful activity (SGA)—(1) Definitions. As used in this section—

Trial work period means the 9-month period provided under title II of the Act and as defined 20 CFR 404.1592, during which the individual may test his or her ability to work and still receive disability cash benefits; and

Reentitlement period means a period as defined in 20 CFR 404.1592a that begins with the first month after the trial work period and ends with the 36th month after the trial work period or, if earlier, with the first month in which the impairment no longer exists or is no longer disabling. (During the reentitlement period, benefits may be discontinued because of SGA. However, if SGA is later discontinued, benefits may be reinstated without a new application and a new disability determination.)

(2) Duration of continued Medicare entitlement. If an individual's entitlement to disability benefits or status as a qualified disabled railroad retirement beneficiary ends because he or she engaged in, or demonstrated the ability to engage in, substantial gainful activity after the 36 months following the end of the trial work period, Medicare entitlement continues until the earlier of the following:

(i) The last day of the 78th month following the first month of substantial gainful activity occurring after the 15th month of the individual's reentitlement period or, if later, the end of the month following the month the individual's disability benefit entitlement ends.

(ii) The last day of the month following the month in which notice is mailed to the individual indicating that he or she is no longer entitled to hospital insurance because of an event or circumstance (for example, there has been medical improvement, or the disabled widow has remarried) that would terminate disability benefit entitlement if it had not already been terminated because of substantial gainful activity.

(a) Statutory basis and applicability. This section explains the conditions of entitlement to hospital insurance benefits on the basis of end-stage renal disease, and specifies the beginning and end of the period of entitlement. It implements section 226A of the Social Security Act.

(b) Definitions. As used in this section:

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) means that stage of kidney impairment that appears irreversible and permanent and requires a regular course of dialysis or kidney transplantation to maintain life.

Child or spouse means a child or spouse whose relationship to the parent or spouse meets the relationship requirements for entitlement to child's monthly social security benefits or to wife's, husband's, widow's, widower's, mother's or father's monthly benefits, as set forth in 20 CFR part 404. However, the duration of relationship requirements apply only to divorced spouses. (See 20 CFR 404.331.)

Dependent child means a person who, on the first day he or she has end-stage renal disease, is unmarried and meets the dependency requirements for entitlement to child's social security benefits on the basis of a parent's earnings (see 20 CFR 404.350-404.365) and who—

(1) Is under age 22;

(2) Is under a disability that began before age 22; or

(3) Is under age 26, is receiving at least one-half support from that parent, and has continuously received at least one-half support from that parent since the day before attaining age 22.

One-half support means regular contributions, in cash or in kind, that equals or exceeds one-half of the child's total support.

(c) Requirements. An individual is entitled to hospital insurance benefits if—

(1) He or she is medically determined to have ESRD;

(2) He or she is:

(i) Fully or currently insured under the social security program (title II of the Act) or would be fully or currently insured if his or her employment (after 1936) as defined under the Railroad Retirement Act were considered “employment” under the Social Security Act;

(ii) Entitled to monthly social security or railroad retirement benefits; or

(iii) The spouse or dependent child of a person who meets the requirements of paragraph (c)(2)(i) or (c)(2)(ii) of this section;

(3) He or she has filed an application for Medicare Part A; and

(4) He or she has satisfied the waiting period explained in paragraph (e) of this section.

(d) Filing an application. (1) An individual may obtain an application form, and help in completing it, from any social security office.

(2) An application is not valid if it is filed earlier than the third month before the month in which the individual meets the conditions of paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(4) of this section.

(3) If an individual who has ESRD dies before he or she has filed an application, or is unable to file because of physical or mental condition, a relative or other person responsible for his or her affairs may file in his or her behalf. If a responsible person is not available, the hospital or dialysis facility that furnished treatment may file the application.

(e) Beginning of entitlement—(1) Basic limitations. Entitlement can begin no earlier than the first month in which the individual meets the conditions specified in paragraph (c) of this section, or the 12th month before the month of application, whichever is later.

(2) Waiting period. Entitlement begins on the first day of the third month after the month in which the individual initiates a regular course of renal dialysis, if the course is maintained throughout the waiting period, unless entitlement would begin earlier under paragraph (e) (3) or (4) of this section. This means that if dialysis began in January, entitlement would begin April 1.

(3) Exceptions: Early kidney transplant. If the individual receives a transplant, entitlement begins with the first day of the month in which the transplant was performed. However, if the individual is admitted as an inpatient to a hospital that is an approved renal transplantation center or renal dialysis center (see § 405.2102) for procedures preliminary to transplant surgery, entitlement begins—

(i) On the first day of the month in which he or she initially enters the hospital, if the transplant is performed in that month or in either of the next 2 months; or

(ii) On the first day of the second month before the month of kidney transplantation, if the transplant is delayed more than 2 months after the month of initial hospital stay.

(4) Exceptions: Self-dialysis training. Entitlement begins on the first day of the month in which a regular course of renal dialysis began if:

(i) Before the end of the waiting period, the individual participates in a self-dialysis training program offered by a participating Medicare facility that is approved to provide such training;

(ii) The patient's physician has certified that it is reasonable to expect the individual will complete the training program and will self-dialyze on a regular basis; and

(iii) The regular course of dialysis is maintained throughout the time that would otherwise be the waiting period (unless it is terminated earlier because the individual dies).

(f) End of entitlement. Entitlement ends with—

(1) The end of the 12th month after the month in which a regular course of dialysis ends; or

(2) The end of the 36th month after the month in which the individual received a kidney transplant. Beginning January 1, 2023, an individual who is no longer entitled to Part A benefits due to this paragraph may be eligible to enroll in Part B solely for purposes of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs as described in § 407.55 of this subchapter.

(g) Resumption of entitlement. Entitlement is resumed under the following conditions:

(1) An individual who initiates a regular course of renal dialysis or has a kidney transplant during the 12-month period after the previous course of dialysis ended is entitled to Part A benefits and eligible to enroll in Part B with the month the regular course of dialysis is resumed or the month the kidney is transplanted.

(2) An individual who initiates a regular course of renal dialysis or has a kidney transplant during the 36-month period after an earlier kidney transplant is entitled to Part A benefits and eligible to enroll in Part B with the month the regular course of dialysis begins or with the month the subsequent kidney transplant occurs.

(3) An individual who initiates a regular course of renal dialysis more than 12 months after the previous course of regular dialysis ended or more than 36 months after the month of a kidney transplant is eligible to enroll in Part A and Part B with the month in which the regular course of dialysis is resumed. If he or she is otherwise entitled under the conditions specified in paragraph (c) of this section, including the filing of an application, entitlement begins with the month in which dialysis is initiated or resumed, without a waiting period, subject to the limitations of paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(a) Definition. As used in this section, Medicare-qualified government employment means Federal, State, or local government employment that is subject only to the hospital insurance portion of the tax imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (F.I.C.A.). This includes—

(1) Wages paid for Federal employment after December 1982.

(2) Wages paid to State and local government employees hired after March 31, 1986.

(3) Wages paid to State and local government employees hired before April 1, 1986 but whose employment after March 31, 1986 is covered, for Medicare purposes only, under an agreement under section 218 of the Act.

(b) Crediting of wages that are taxable only for Medicare purposes. Medicare qualified government employment is credited in the same way and in the same amount as social security covered employment is credited for monthly social security cash benefit purposes. However, since only the Medicare portion (not the social security portion) of the F.I.C.A. tax is imposed, Medicare qualified government employment does not help qualify the individual for monthly Social Security cash benefits.

(c) Required quarters of coverage. (1) To qualify for hospital insurance on the basis of Medicare qualified government employment, an individual must have the number of quarters of coverage necessary to qualify for hospital insurance under § 406.10, § 406.12, or § 406.13.

(2) An individual who has worked in Medicare qualified government employment may qualify for hospital insurance on the basis of Medicare qualified government employment exclusively, or a combination of Medicare qualified government employment and social security covered employment.

(d) Transitional provision for Federal employment. Any individual who was a Federal employee at any time both during and before January 1983 will receive credit for quarters of Federal employment before January 1983 without paying tax. This transitional provision applies even if the Federal employee did not receive Federal wages for January 1983, for instance, because he or she was on approved leave without pay or on loan to a State or foreign agency.

(e) Conditions of entitlement. An individual who has worked in Medicare qualified government employment (or any related individual who would be entitled to social security cash benefits on the employee's record if Medicare qualified government employment qualified for those benefits) is entitled to hospital insurance benefits if he or she—

(1) Would meet the requirements of § 406.10, § 406.12, or § 406.13 if Medicare qualified government employment were social security covered employment; and

(2) Has filed an application for hospital insurance.

(f) Beginning and end of entitlement—(1) Basic rule. Subject to the limitations specified in paragraph (f)(2) and (f)(3) of this section, entitlement begins and ends as specified in § 406.10, § 406.12 or § 406.13, whichever is used to establish hospital insurance entitlement for the Federal, State, or local government employee or related individual.

(2) Limitations: Federal government employment. (i) Hospital insurance entitlement based on Federal employment could not begin before January 1983.

(ii) No months before January 1983 may be used to satisfy the qualifying period required for entitlement based on disability.

(3) Limitations: State and local government employment. (i) Hospital insurance entitlement based on State or local government employment cannot begin before April 1986.

(ii) No months before April 1986 may be used to satisfy the qualifying period required for entitlement based on disability.