
  EVENTS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR MEDICARE PROTECTION

This section tells you about:
     *    When Protection Ends for Persons 65 
          and Older.     
*    When Protection Ends for the Disabled. 
     *    When Protection Ends for those with Kidney
          Failure. 

WHEN PROTECTION ENDS FOR PERSONS 65 AND OLDER
     
If you have Medicare hospital insurance based on your husband's
or wife's work record, your protection will end if you and your
spouse divorce before your marriage has lasted 10 years.  If you
have hospital insurance based on your own work record, your
protection will continue as long as you live.
     Your Medicare medical insurance protection will stop if your
premiums are not paid or if you voluntarily cancel.  If you are
thinking about cancelling your Medicare medical insurance,
remember that you may not be able to get private insurance that
offers the same protection.  Also, if you cancel your Medicare
medical insurance and then later decide to re-enroll, you can
only re-enroll during a general enrollment period, your premium
may be higher and your protection will not begin again until July
1 of the year you re-enroll (unless you qualify for a special
enrollment period as described on page xx).
     If you are buying Medicare hospital insurance as described
previously, you will lose it if you cancel your Medicare medical
insurance.  People who buy hospital insurance must enroll and pay
the premium for medical insurance.  But, you can cancel hospital
insurance and still continue to buy your medical insurance.
     If you want more information about cancelling your Medicare
protection, get in touch with Social Security.
WHEN PROTECTION ENDS FOR THE DISABLED
     If you have Medicare because you are disabled, your
protection will end if you recover from your disability before
you are 65.  If you go to work but are still disabled, your
premium-free hospital insurance protection will continue for at
least 48 months after you begin working. Your medical insurance
will also continue for at least 48 months if you continue to pay
the monthly premiums.  
     If you lose your premium-free hospital insurance, solely
because you are working, you may elect to buy hospital and
medical insurance for as long as you remain disabled.  The first
possible month you can buy insurance under this provision is
July, 1990.
     If you ever want to cancel the Medicare protection for which
you pay premiums, get in touch with Social Security.  
WHEN PROTECTION ENDS FOR THOSE WITH PERMANENT KIDNEY FAILURE
     If you have Medicare because of permanent kidney failure,
your protection will end 12 months after the month maintenance
dialysis treatment stops or 36 months after the month you have a
successful kidney transplant.
     Your Medicare medical insurance protection could stop before
that for failure to pay premiums or if you decide to cancel. 
Call Social Security if you ever want to cancel your medical
insurance protection.
     If you need more information about Medicare coverage of
permanent kidney failure, you can get a copy of Medicare Coverage
of Kidney Dialysis and Kidney Transplant Services from Social
Security or the Consumer Information Center (see inside back
cover).
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