Disability and Medicare in Missouri   Once your have won an allowance on your Social disability claim, you may expect to have health coverage through Medicare right away. However, this is not always the case--Medicare coverage for Social Security Disability recipients does not begin for twenty four months after the first month the individual becomes entitled to receive a monetary disability benefit. What affects Medicare insurance coverage entitlement dates? An individual's date of entitlement may be affected by the five-month disability waiting period. What is the five month disability waiting period? The five month disability waiting period is a five month period that begins with your date of onset or last date of work and ends with the last day of the fifth month following your disability onset. Social Security never pays monetary benefits for these months. Consequently, your date of entitlement will be the sixth month following the five month disability waiting period. As you can see, this may cause an individual who is allowed for disability at the initial level to wait more than twenty four months from their disability onset to receive Medicare coverage, if you consider that there are five additional months that do not count toward the Medicare waiting period. Resources: 1. Does Social Security Hold Back The First five Months Of Back Pay? 2. The first five months of disability back pay 3. Do I automatically receive Medicare benefits if I'm approved for disability? 4. Disability and Medicare- how does it work 5. Winning a disability claim, how to win Of course, if an individual applies for disability benefits and their onset is in the past, they may have a date of entitlement in the past, which may allow for fewer months to actually wait once they have received an allowance for Social Security Disability benefits. This is not a change in the two year Medicare waiting period--it just means that some of the waiting period months were prior to the actual disability allowance decision. What about those individuals who are approved for Social Security benefits in Missouri and are entitled to Medicare benefits immediately after winning a Social Security Disability claim? Such persons, who are entitled to receive Medicare benefits at the time of their Social Security Disability allowance, are those individuals who have had to go through the lengthy Social Security appeal process leading to an administrative law judge hearing. In other words, they have already waited many months for the hearing, consequently they have already satisfied the twenty four month waiting period for Medicare coverage. Unfortunately, the disability process often takes more than two years from the initial level through the administrative law judge hearing, due to significant delays and backlogs at Social Security hearings offices across the nation. About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here. Most popular topics on SSDRC.com Social Security Disability in North Carolina Common Mistakes to avoid after being denied for Disability Tips to Prepare for Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI Advice to Win SSD and SSI Benefit Claims Social Security Disability SSI Questions What is the difference between Social Security Disability and SSI? How to get disability for depression Getting disability for fibromyalgia SSI disability for children with ADHD What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? Social Security Disability SSI Exam tips More Social Security Disability SSI Questions What makes you eligible for Social Security Disability or SSI? Filing for disability in Missouri Applying for disability in Missouri Whether or not to file for Social Security Disability in Missouri File for disability in Missouri and prepare to wait Qualifying, will I qualify for disability in Missouri? Getting a Disability Lawyer in Missouri Disability criteria, qualifying and qualifications in Missouri What is a disability in Missouri? Criteria for Social Security Disability and SSI in Missouri What is a Qualifying Disability in Missouri for Social Security? How to qualify in Missouri Qualifying for disability in Missouri How do you qualify for SS disability in Missouri? Missouri disability qualifications, will I qualify? General questions about disability in Missouri Can you get a quick disability approval in Missouri? Contacting Social Security for a Disability Claim in Missouri Work credits and a Missouri Social Security Disability Award Filing, applying for Disability in Missouri with Depression Online disability appeal in Missouri Review of my SSDI or SSI Case in Missouri Missouri disability benefits Social Security Disability Income in Missouri How much will I receive if I am approved for disability in Missouri? Disability benefits for children in Missouri If you get approved for SSD in Missouri, do your kids get SSI? SSD and Medicare Benefits in Missouri Approved for disability and medicare in Missouri Disability hearings in Missouri Social Security Disability Hearings in Missouri How do you file for a disability hearing in Missouri? Will I get approved by a disability judge in Missouri? How long for an ALJ disability hearing decision in Missouri? Lawyer for a disability hearing in Missouri How many are Approved at a Social Security Disability Hearing in Missouri? Request for a Social Security Disability Hearing in Missouri Disability denials in Missouri What to do if a disability application is denied in Missouri Why is disability denied in Missouri? What if you receive a Denial at a Disability Hearing in Missouri? Missouri SSI disability Filing for SSI or Supplemental Security Income in Missouri Supplemental Security Income in Missouri Will SSI disability in Missouri qualify you for other benefits? Who Qualifies for SSI Disability Benefits in Missouri? Disability lawyers, attorneys in Missouri Do I need a lawyer to get disability benefits in Missouri? How do you choose a Social Security Disability Attorney in Missouri? What does a Disability Lawyer in Missouri Charge if the Disability Case is Lost? Cost of a disability lawyer in Missouri Disability Lawyers for Social Security Claims in Missouri How long does disability take in Missouri? How long for a Decision for Social Security Disability in Missouri? How Long Can you Receive Social Security Disability in Missouri? How to Speed up a Social Security Disability Claim in Missouri