Ask Larry

I retired on disability pension from the miami police due to a line of duty injury. My pension is tax free and subject to WEP. I am 65 yrs old and am having difficulty getting Medicare part a because i do not have 40 SSI quarters. Uninsured medicare part A is the only offer so far. Does WEP cover me for a waiver as it would take $$ away if i had 40 quarters.
HELP PLS

Hi,

Sorry, but no. Some government employees pay Medicare taxes even if their earnings are exempt from Social Security taxes, but I don't think that applies in state and local employment like yours.

So, the only possibility is if you have a spouse or ex-spouse who is at least age 62 or deceased and is insured for Social Security benefits. And, in the case of a divorced spouse, you would need to have been married for at least 10 years.

Assuming that you don't qualify for free Part A of Medicare based on a spouse or ex-spouse's insured status, if you have at least 30 quarters of Social Security coverage, you can get Part A of Medicare for a reduced premium rate. The reduction amount is 45%, which would reduce the 2017 premium from $413 to $227 per month.

Best, Jerry