Does Medicare Advantage Cover Dialysis

When Does Coverage Start For Kidney Transplants

Kidney transplants have a slightly different coverage structure. If youre going to have a kidney transplant, your Medicare coverage will begin that month. If your transplant is delayed, youll still be covered during the delay period. If you are admitted to a hospital to undergo some procedures that are related to your kidney transplant, then your coverage will begin in time to cover those procedures, not just the kidney transplant itself. Your coverage can begin up to two months before the transplant itself.

Because of this, the one instance that this can get tricky is if youre admitted to a hospital for tests and then your transplant is delayed. For example, if you are admitted for pre-transplant procedures and tests on January 1st, and your transplant is scheduled for February 1st but then delayed until June 1st, then your kidney transplant coverage will begin in April, two months earlier. In this case, your initial procedures may not be covered.

Medicare Basics: End Stage Renal Disease

Learn about Medicare eligibility, coverage, and costs for end-stage renal disease .

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Medicare is often thought of as national health care coverage for those aged 65 and older, but thats not always the case. Younger people who have kidney problems leading to end-stage renal disease can also qualify for Medicare, regardless of age. ESRD occurs when kidneys stop functioning and require regular, long-term dialysis treatments or for those receiving kidney transplants.

You must meet certain requirements to qualify for Medicare based on ESRD, and coverage doesnt begin right away. But you dont have to be on Social Security Disability Insurance to qualify.

Medicare Advantage : What Does It Cover

Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Part C health plans, offer a way to get your Medicare coverage through a private insurance company. Part C plans are private, and therefore vary in price and slightly vary in coverage. However, according to CMS regulations, all Part C plans must cover dialysis just like Original Medicare does.

If you have a Part C plan, your dialysis coverage will function very similarly to how it does under Original Medicare. You should always check with your plan for information about the provider network and other coverage details. However, your plan will never be allowed to charge more than Medicare does for dialysis, so keep that in mind.

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Esrd Medicare Coverage For Prescription Drugs

After someone becomes eligible for ESRD Medicare, they can enroll in a Medicare drug plan during a seven-month period. This seven-month period begins three months prior to the first month they are eligible for Medicare. It will end three months following the first month theyre eligible.

Prescription drug coverage begins at the same time as Medicare coverage. It may also start the first month after a request is sent, whichever date is later.

Finally, Medicare Part B will pay for most of the drugs needed for dialysis, though it wont cover prescription medication for other health conditions. In this scenario, patients would need to enroll in Medicare Part D, which is prescription drug coverage.

Can You Enroll In Medicare Advantage With Esrd

As of January 2021, you can enroll in Medicare Advantage with ESRD. Hereâs how it works.

Medicare Advantage is a system of insurance that was developed as an alternative to Original Medicare . Each Advantage plan is run by a private company who must adhere to Medicare rules.

The savings that many Medicare Advantage beneficiaries enjoy come from the pooling of resources into networks of care. Every Advantage plan must cover the same services offered by Medicare Part A and Part B, and many offer drug coverage as well as other benefits like vision, hearing, and dental services.

There is a type of Medicare Advantage plan called a Special Needs Plan. These plans organize medications, services, and benefits around the particular needs of the populations that they serve. Chronic condition Special Needs Plans treat people with defined chronic conditions such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, and ESRD.

The specific Special Needs Plans available in your area will vary, but you can qualify for ESRD Special Needs Plans at any age. The official U.S. government website for Medicare states that you are eligible if:

• Your kidneys do not work
• You require regular dialysis
• Youâve had a kidney transplant

You can also qualify for an ESRD Special Needs Plan if:

As of January 2021, those who have ESRD can choose either Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan when making their Medicare coverage selections.

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How To Choose A Medicare Dialysis Center

You can get dialysis in several different types of facilities. If you qualify, your dialysis can take place within the comforts of your own home. Or, you can also get dialysis at a certified dialysis center.

For Medicare to cover your treatment, the center must be Medicare-certified.

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Often, Medicare Advantage plans will cover transportation services too.

Who Is Eligible For Dialysis

Generally, people with ESRD who have lost between 85% and 90% of their normal kidney function are eligible for dialysis treatment. Doctors also use your glomerular filtration rate to decide whether you need dialysis, which measures how efficiently your kidneys can filter blood. They may recommend dialysis if your GFR drops to 15 or less.

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D Prescription Drug Plans

Part D plans cover prescription drugs and are administered by private insurance companies. For this reason, plans will vary in cost and coverage. If you have prescription drug needs and can get Medicare due to ESRD, you may want to find a suitable Part D plan to help cover any non-dialysis related drug costs that you have.

If you do this, make sure to look at the plan’s formulary and coverage amounts, to ensure that what you need will be covered. Although Part D plans are regulated by the government to some degree, you should treat these plans as private medical insurance plans, and analyze them as such.

Eligibility For Part C

Starting in 2021, people with ESRD are eligible to enroll in a broader range of Medicare Advantage plans.

If you want to switch from original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, you will be able to do so during the annual open enrollment period, which takes place from .

If you currently have a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan but want to switch to a different type of plan, you can do this during Medicare Advantage open enrollmentfrom .

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What Supplies Do You Need For Home Dialysis

There are different kinds of home dialysis, and each uses different equipment to remove toxins from your bloodstream. While there are differences between the machines and how they operate, all Medicare beneficiaries who need at-home dialysis can expect Medicare to cover some standard supplies, including:

• Dialysis machine

• Sterile drapes

Immunosuppressant Drugs For Dialysis

Youll need immunosuppressant drugs for life when you get a kidney transplant. While this sounds scary and costly, you can take a breath of relief.

Part B will cover these drugs under a few different factors:

• Part A benefits covered your transplant.
• You have Part B coverage when its time to fill the prescription.
• Youre eligible for Medicare ESRD.

Part B wouldnt cover immunosuppressants if you didnt have Part A during your surgery. If this situation applies to you, you may need to buy a Part D plan to cover the medications you need.

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How Much Does Dialysis Cost Out Of Pocket

Still asking, How much does Medicare pay for dialysis? Its best to know how Medicare calculates your costs because it will help you make sense of your Medicare Summary Notice when you get it.

• Deductible: This is the annual amount you need to pay out of pocket before Medicare begins to pay its portion of your approved costs. In 2022, the Part B deductible is $233.
• Premium: This is the monthly cost of Part B. You must pay your monthly Part B premium to have active Part B coverage. In 2022, the Part B premium is $170.10 per month, though some individuals with high income may have to pay a higher premium.
• Coinsurance: Once youve paid your deductible, coinsurance is the portion youll pay out of pocket for a service or home dialysis supplies.

Again, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries often have different costs theyre responsible for paying. For example, many Part C plans offer no-cost monthly premiums or flat-rate copayments instead of coinsurance. If youre on Original Medicare and want more info on Part C, give GoHealth a call. Well explain the difference and shop for plans in your area that fit your needs.

What extra benefits and savings do you qualify for?

When You Get A Kidney Transplant

Similar to inpatient dialysis, Medicare Part A will cover you to receive a kidney transplant. This will require you to pay a $1,556 deductible for a 2022 hospital stay as well as a 20% deductible for physician services that are reimbursed under Medicare Part B.

What is unique about kidney transplantation is that Medicare will also cover the full costs of care for a living donor. Neither you nor the donor will need to pay a single penny out of pocket for their care, even if there are complications from the procedure.

After you get a kidney transplant, you will need to be put on immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of your life. These drugs are required to prevent your body from rejecting the transplanted kidney.

Medicare will pay for these medications as long as Medicare covered your kidney transplant and as long as you continue to have Medicare Part B.

Do not expect Medicare to take care of you after you have a kidney transplant though, at least not for the long haul. They will only provide coverage for 36 months after a Medicare-approved transplant. However, new legislation was proposed in April 2022 that would allow you to extend some of your Part B benefits. This oartial benefit, referred to as Part B-ID, would provide coverage for your immunosuppressive drugs but not other services. You would pay a lower monthly premium to keep that coverage.

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How Much Does Dialysis Cost With Medicare

If you have Medicare, the costs you incur for dialysis will be determined by several factors, including where you receive the dialysis treatment.

As an inpatient:

• If youre admitted to a Medicare-approved hospital and get dialysis as an inpatient, Medicare Part A will cover those costs. Part A will also cover your nephrologist fees, and other fees associated with your care.
• Part A is premium-free for people with ESRD, provided you meet Medicares work history and eligibility requirements.
• If you have been hospitalized for 61 days or longer, you may have coinsurance fees. You will also be responsible for paying a deductible for each benefit period.

As an outpatient:

• If you receive dialysis at a Medicare-approved facility as an outpatient, Medicare Part Bwill cover 80 percent of the Medicare-approved cost, including doctors fees.
• You will be responsible for the other 20 percent of the cost of dialysis. You are also responsible for the Part B annual deductible and typically must provide your own travel to and from the facility.
• Medicare Part B covers 80 percent of the cost of at-home dialysis, plus dialysis training for you and another person.

If you have a Medigap supplemental insurance plan, some or all of the costs that remain after Medicare pays for dialysis may be covered by your plan.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, your plan will cover at least as much as Original Medicare does. However, your costs for dialysis, both in and out of the hospital, may be different.

Medicare Costs For Dialysis Treatment And Supplies

If you have Original Medicare, youâll continue to pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for all covered outpatient dialysis-related services, including those related to self-dialysis. Medicare will pay the remaining 80%. The Medicare Part B deductible applies.

If youâre in a Medicare Advantage plan , then your costs may be different. Read your plan materials or call your benefits administrator to get your cost information.

You must also continue to pay your monthly Medicare Part B and Part D premiums, if applicable.

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What If You Have Private Insurance And Medicare

If you already have healthcare coverage through a commercial insurer when you become eligible for Medicare, you have the option to keep both types of insurance and the option to use both. Your private plan can be the primary payer that handles your healthcare costs before Medicare does, or the private plan can be secondary to Medicare. Your choice depends on individual circumstances. One critical consideration: Medicare requires everyone 65 and older to have adequate prescription drug coverage defined as and your employer plan may not qualify.

You may choose to build your primary health coverage on private insurance if your spouse relies on that plan for coverage, or choose Medicare as your primary insurer after considering the deductibles, copayments, and coinsurances of both options.

Medicare and other insurance plans coordinate to avoid duplicate payments. If Medicare is your primary payer, it will pay first and then your private plan will kick in to cover some or all of the remaining costs. If Medicare is secondary, then the opposite occurs. Typically, Medicare cannot be changed from a primary payer to a secondary payer.

Whether Medicare is primary or secondary to existing insurance generally depends on the source of the other insurance policy. If you are uncertain about which insurer is your primary or secondary, you can check with your private plan or call Medicares Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center at 1-855-798-2627.

Whats Covered By Esrd Medicare

End Stage Renal Disease Medicare coverage gives you access to:

• Medicare Part A, which covers inpatient hospital stays or temporary time at a skilled nursing facility and some home health care services and hospice care, and
• Medicare Part B, which helps pay for doctors services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive services.
• Kidney transplants

• Services outside of the U.S. Exceptions to this are:

• if youre in the U.S. when the medical emergency occurs and a foreign hospital is the nearest hospital that can treat you
• if youre traveling through Canada to a U.S. state by the most direct path and the Canadian hospital is closer than a U.S. hospital or
• if a foreign hospital is closer to where you live than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your condition.

If you have Original Medicare, you can purchase a Medigap policy to supplement your coverage. Medigap may help pay for services received outside the U.S., including dialysis, if your care begins during the first 60 days of your trip and isnt covered.

If you get your benefits through a Medicare Advantage Plan instead of Original Medicare, you cannot purchase a Medigap policy. MAPs do not typically provide services outside of the U.S., but your plan may allow you to receive services outside of your network in case of an emergency.

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Eligibility For Esrd Medicare

Having end-stage renal disease could qualify you for Medicare. This is the case even if you are not yet 65 years old.

There are other criteria that must also be met that are not otherwise required for traditional Medicare:

• You must satisfy eligibility requirements for Social Security Disability Insurance or meet the criteria for one of the following.
• You worked the right amount of time under Social Security, or as a government employee, or you have satisfied Railroad Retirement Board benefits.
• You, your spouse, or your guardian has to have already paid at least 40 quarters of payroll taxes into Medicare and Social Security.

Unlike people with other types of disabilities, you do not have to wait 24 months before you become eligible for the program. The same goes for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis .

As soon as the criteria above are met, you should apply for Medicare. Your coverage benefits will kick in three months after you start dialysis treatment.

How Much Does Medicare With Esrd Cost

Monthly premiums:

Youll receive premium-free Medicare Part A if you qualify for Medicare coverage based on End Stage Renal Disease. Medicare Part B has a premium, which is either deducted from your Social Security or RRB benefits or billed to you. In 2022, the standard Part B premium, which most people pay, is $170.10 per month. If your annual income is above $91,000 or $182,000 you will pay more.

Deductibles, copays, and coinsurance:

The Part B deductible in 2022 is $233. After you reach this amount in payments, youll generally only pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for most doctor services, outpatient therapy, and durable medical equipment . If you have Parts A and B with a Medigap plan, the 20% coinsurance is covered. If you have a MAP, you may be responsible for copays or coinsurance, depending on your plans network.

Late enrollment penalty:

ESRD can absolve you of the late enrollment penalty levied on those who dont sign up for Medicare Part B on time. If youre already enrolled in Medicare when you become ESRD eligible and have been paying a Part B late enrollment penalty, the penalty will stop when you become ESRD Medicare eligible. Youll need to contact your local Social Security office to re-enroll in Medicare based on ESRD.

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