Medicare Part A hospital benefits are available regardless of age if the beneficiary has received Social Security Disability benefits for at least how many months?

• A. 12 months
• B. 24 months
• C. 36 months
• D. 48 months

Answer: (B)

Medicare Part A hospital benefits for someone under 65 who is receiving Social Security Disability Insurance start after a 24-month period of disability benefits. In other words, once the beneficiary has received SSDI payments for two full years, Medicare coverage begins for hospital stays, regardless of age. There are exceptions to this rule for certain conditions (for example, ALS starts Medicare immediately with disability, and ESRD has its own rules), but the standard waiting period is 24 months.