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Aged, Blind and Disabled Manual Section: Medicare Savings Programs Policy Manual Number: 120.005 Chapter: Medicare Savings Programs Overview

March 1, 2024 Division of TennCare 2

• The three months prior to an individual’s 65th birthday or 25th month of disability benefits receipt; • The month of the 65th birthday or 25th month of disability benefits receipt; and • The three months after the month of the 65th birthday or 25th month of disability benefits receipt.

b. The general enrollment period, which includes the months of January, February, and March of each year.

c. Enrollment Period Exceptions

Enrollment period requirements are waived for certain MSP applicants and enrollees. The following list provides situations when an individual can be immediately enrolled into Medicare Part A or B.

• Applicants who are enrolled in Medicare Part A, but who refused Part B coverage during initial Medicare enrollment are enrolled into Part B by the state upon approval of an MSP (QMB, SLMB or QI1). • Applicants who have established Medicare Part B, but who do not have Medicare Part A coverage, are enrolled into Part A by the state upon approval of QMB only.

Note: Tennessee is a Part A Buy-In state, which means the state has elected to cover QMB for individuals who are eligible to purchase Medicare Part A. The Part A Buy-In program allows a state to enroll a QMB-eligible individual into Part A if the individual has already established Part B.

See a description of TennCare’s Medicare Buy-In Unit below.

4. Medicare Parts and Benefits Overview

Medicare is made up of four separate “Parts”: A, B, C and D.

a. Medicare Part A

i. Eligibility

An individual who receives Social Security benefits and has sufficient work quarters is eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A, if one of the following applies:

1. Age 65 or older; 2. Disabled for 24 months or more; 3. Fits into a special Medicare-covered group; 4. Enrolled through ESRD program;