You are eligible for Medicare three months after beginning dialysis treatment or immediately after receiving a kidney transplant. You may want to find out if you qualify for Medicaid, if your income and assets are low enough.
Medicaid helps many low-income people on Medicare with their Medicare premiums and cost-sharing requirements, and may also cover some benefits that are not covered by Medicare, such as dental services and long-term services and supports. To find out if you qualify, you can contact the State Medical Assistance Office or the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in your state. SHIPs offer local, personalized counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families. You can call 877-839-2675 to get the phone number for the SHIP in your state.
If you do not qualify for Medicaid, you may enroll in a Medigap supplemental insurance policy to help cover the cost-sharing in original Medicare, or starting January 2021, people with ESRD can enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan.