Is Medicare different for me if I get it through the Railroad Retirement Board?Question 9 of 10 (use "Last" or "Next" buttons to see more) Last Update: March 12, 2008
If you are a railroad worker and get Medicare from the Railroad Retirement Board,
your Medicare benefits will generally work the same way as for people who get
Medicare through Social Security. There are just a few differences:
- Your enrollment will be processed by the Railroad Retirement
Board instead of by Social Security. If you are receiving railroad
retirement benefits or railroad disability annuity checks when you become
eligible for Medicare, the Railroad Retirement Board will automatically enroll
you in Medicare Parts A and B. A few months before your Medicare eligibility
begins, you will receive your Medicare card and a letter from the Railroad
Retirement Board explaining that you have been enrolled in Medicare.
If you qualify for railroad retirement benefits, but are not yet receiving
them when you turn 65, you will need to contact your local Railroad Retirement
Board field office to enroll in Medicare.
- If you are under 65 and have a disability, you will have to
fulfill different eligibility requirements to qualify for Medicare.
Whether you are eligible for Medicare and when you get it depend on how your
disability has been classified by the Railroad Retirement Board.
 To find out more about your eligibility for Medicare if
you are entitled to a railroad disability annuity, click on the link in the FAQ
box.
Note: If you get continuing dialysis for permanent kidney
failure (End-Stage Renal Disease or ESRD), or you have had a kidney transplant,
you should enroll in Medicare by contacting Social Security, even if you are a
railroad worker.
To find your local Railroad Retirement Board field
office, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 312-751-7139 or click on the link
in the LINKS box.
- The Railroad Retirement Board will collect your Medicare Part A
premiums (if you have them) and Part B premiums. If you receive railroad
retirement benefits or railroad disability annuity checks, your Medicare premiums
will be automatically deducted from your check each month.
To find out whether you will have to pay a Part A
premium, click on the link about paying for services under Medicare Part A in the
GO TO box.
- Your doctors and other health care providers will bill Medicare
differently for services covered under Part B. Your providers must send
Railroad Medicare Part B claims to the Part B carrier selected by the Railroad
Retirement Board. To make sure that Medicare pays for your covered health
services, always make sure your doctors and other health care providers know that
you have Railroad Medicare, not Social Security Medicare.
- Your Medicare card will look different:
- Your card will say “Railroad Retirement Board” instead of showing the
phone number to call Social Security.
- Your Medicare Claim Number will have a letter before your number, not
after.
- Your card will have the Railroad Retirement Board address on the
back.
To find out how to replace your Medicare card if it is
lost or stolen, or if it becomes too faded to use, click on the link in the GO TO
box.
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