Medicare Entitlement and 30 Month Coordination Period Begins

• Medicare starts on first day of fourth month of Hemodialysis
• Medicare goes back to 1st day of month that Peritoneal Dialysis began
• Medicare goes back to 1st day of month that kidney transplant is received
• Medicare pays after your insurance does, it pays deductibles and copays
• Medicare Part B covers outpatient dialysis, you may pay a late penalty if you wait to enroll

*30 month coordination begins whether or not you sign up for Medicare

30 Month Coordination Period Ends

• Medicare starts paying before your group/employer based insurance plans
• Patients need to make sure Medicare knows about their group coverage and that group plan knows the patient has Medicare as the first payer
• Medicare always pays first before Medicaid, Children’s Special Health Care Services and TRICARE

End of ESRD Medicare

• Medicare will stop paying 36 months after the month you have a kidney transplant (If the patient is not getting Medicare because of age or another disability)
• If patient recovers kidney function and is no longer on dialysis or stops getting treatment, Medicare will end 12 months after the month you stop dialysis

Medicare will be extended if:

• You start dialysis again or get a kidney transplant within 12 months after the month you stopped dialysis; or
• You start dialysis or get another kidney transplant within 36 months after the month you get a kidney transplant