lansbury

I tried to apply for medicare today. It was rather condescendingly pointed out to me that I wasn't entitled to medicare "as you have to pay towards it to get it, and you haven't paid anything"

I politely pointed out I knew that and was claiming based on my spouses entitlement and payments. Got told you still don't qualify as your wife isn't claiming social security and she isn't entitled to medicare. Supervisor agreed with that statement.

This is on the Medicare web site as one of the grounds for qualification:-

Most people 65 or older are eligible for Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) based on their own—or their spouse's— employment. You are eligible at 65 if you:

• Would be entitled to Social Security benefits based on your spouse's (or divorced spouse's) work record, and that spouse is at least 62 (your spouse does not have to apply for benefits in order for you to be eligible based on your spouse's work)

So I qualify then. But my local office will not let me claim it. Now going to have to go back and try and convince them they are wrong.

Nutmegger

Did you try applying online? I did the whole thing without human contact last fall! Perhaps that way you can avoid contact with the jobsworths.

lansbury

Yes tried online, it said I didn't meet the criteria to apply online. It didn't say what the criteria was I didn't meet, but I guess it was because it never asked about claiming off of a spouses entitlement.

Nutmegger

Sorry about that -- guess you're stuck with printing out the facts and trying to educating them.

SanDiegogirl

Yikes....... I look forward to hearing about how you get on.

I would have read it the same way that you did - your spouse is 62 and has paid in the necessary 40 quarters premiums and therefore with YOU being 65, you could claim Medicare.

If it is not like this I would really like to know why

lansbury

At the very least I should have been told I could enrolled and pay for Part A, wasn't even offered that.

Mallory

Have you been married to your spouse forf 10 years? It says "if you are entitled to SS on your spouse's work record." You aren't eligible for SS pension off her record until you have been married for 10 years.

lansbury

We've been married since 1996.

SanDiegogirl

Go to this page on the Medicare.gov website.

It describes your exact situation. You have not worked in the US, but your wife who is 62 HAS and has paid her Medicare contributions.

It says that YOU can claim Medicare Part A and B at 65.

Well, that's how I read it.

http://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-chan...#collapse-3163

lansbury

That's how I read it to. The rules say I am eligible, the SS supervisor said I wasn't. No point arguing as it would have got me very far. It was very clear from their tone of voice I was viewed as a benefit scrounger trying to claim something for nothing.

I might go to the office in Portland. Not our local one but I think I can go to any office which is convenient to me.

SanDiegogirl

I'd print the page out and show it to them, and get THEM to explain to you how it does NOT apply to you.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

lansbury

I will. Wish I'd thought to have it ready first time around, but I wasn't expecting there to be a problem.

Mallory

Are you receiving a social security check? Seems to depend on that - and being over 65.

lansbury

No I'm not receiving SS pension, that I can't claim until my wife claims hers, and she wants to wait to get the full payment at 66. But the way I read it I can claim medicare, and should do so three months before the month I'm 65. It isn't required for my wife to be claiming either medicare or SS pension, nor do I have to claim SS pension to claim medicare.

Michael

I suspect these people that work at small town ss offices are similar to people that work at small town DMVs. Usually they get everything wrong and with your foreign accent, to them that probably makes you ineligible just because of that.