Medicare: If you receive Social Security Disability benefits, then you are eligible to receive Medicare Health Insurance. You become eligible to receive Medicare Health Insurance 24 months after you receive your first Social Security Disability benefit payment. The amount of your income and assets is not a factor in your eligibility for Medicare.

Medicare is a national program and is paid for through your payroll taxes. Medicare is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration--HCFA.)

Your Medicare card is a wallet-size card with red and blue stripes and shows your Medicare Claim Number. Your Medicare claim number will be the Social Security number of the person you are drawing Social Security benefits from. For example, if you receive Social Security disability benefits as an adult child of an insured worker who is your retired or deceased parent, than the Medicare Claim Number will show that worker's Social Security Number. (There may be a C1 or other letter and number tacked onto the end.)

Medicare generally pays 80% of the "approved charges" of doctor bills. The monthly premium for Medicare Part B Medical Insurance in 2006 is $88.50 The premium is routinely deducted from your monthly Social Security Disability benefit check. Currently Medicare does not help with costs of prescriptions. It does not cover dental or vision care needs.

Health care providers can bill you for the part of the health care cost that was not paid for by Medicare.

Medicaid: Go to your Seniors and People with Disabilities office to apply for Medicaid. If you receive SSI disability benefits, show your notice of SSI eligibility to the Senior and Disabled Services Case Worker. Your monthly income and assets are a factor in your eligibility for Medicaid.

A "medical card" is sent to you each month. This is a letter size piece of white and green paper. You will need to show this to your health care provider each time you see them.

Medicaid is health insurance provided through a state and federal partnership. In Oregon, Medicaid is a part of the Oregon Health Plan. If you are eligible to receive SSI disability benefits then the federal rules say that you are categorically eligible to receive Medicaid health insurance, called "OHP Plus." (Individuals may be eligible for Oregon Health Plan health insurance based on other reasons as well--such as household income for families with children, or the Employed Persons with Disabilities program. This insurance is referred to as "OHP Standard". Benefits through OHP Standard are more limited than the benefits available through OHP Plus.)

The Case Worker can help you with arranging for purchase of attends or diapers, medically-related transportation costs, and other questions.

Medicaid currently pays for a vision exam and glasses, if needed, at least once every two years. Medicaid is usually administered through a managed care organization. Central Oregon Independent Health Insurance Service (COHIS) is one of the main organizations that serves Eastern Oregon. (COHIS also offers a managed health care plan for people receiving Medicare.)

If you receive a bill for health care services and have OHP Plus, read the bill carefully to make sure there are no errors in billing. Look to see that both your Medicaid and Medicare Health Insurance have been billed. Generally, health care providers cannot bill you for the amount over what your Medicaid insurance paid to them.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage: Here are two resources to learn more about the prescription drug coverage, including information for those people who are "dual eligibles" --eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. The Arc web site about Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage is http://www.thedesk.info/PartD/index.htm. The Medicare site is: http://www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/drugbenefit.asp.