Does totalization affect Medicare eligibility?
Under U.S. law, a person generally becomes eligible for free Medicare hospital insurance if the person is age 65 or older and is eligible for monthly Social Security benefits or is under age 65 and has been entitled to disability benefits for more than 24 months. Generally, U.S. Medicare provides coverage for medical expenses incurred in the United States only. The agreement with the Czech Republic does not include any provision affecting these requirements. Although a person could become eligible for monthly Social Security benefits from the United States based on combined U.S. and Czech coverage, eligibility for a benefit based on combined coverage can not be used to qualify for Medicare hospital insurance. On the other hand, the agreement does apply to the portion of the U.S. Social Security tax that finances Medicare hospital insurance. Thus, workers and employers who are exempt from U.S. Social Security tax based on the agreement will be exempt from the entire tax, including the M
