(a) Definition. As used in this section, Medicare-qualified government employment means Federal, State, or local government employment that is subject only to the hospital insurance portion of the tax imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (F.I.C.A.). This includes -
(1) Wages paid for Federal employment after December 1982.
(2) Wages paid to State and local government employees hired after March 31, 1986.
(3) Wages paid to State and local government employees hired before April 1, 1986 but whose employment after March 31, 1986 is covered, for Medicare purposes only, under an agreement under section 218 of the Act.
(b) Crediting of wages that are taxable only for Medicare purposes. Medicare qualified government employment is credited in the same way and in the same amount as social security covered employment is credited for monthly social security cash benefit purposes. However, since only the Medicare portion (not the social security portion) of the F.I.C.A. tax is imposed, Medicare qualified government employment does not help qualify the individual for monthly Social Security cash benefits.
(c) Required quarters of coverage.
(1) To qualify for hospital insurance on the basis of Medicare qualified government employment, an individual must have the number of quarters of coverage necessary to qualify for hospital insurance under § 406.10, § 406.12, or § 406.13.
(2) An individual who has worked in Medicare qualified government employment may qualify for hospital insurance on the basis of Medicare qualified government employment exclusively, or a combination of Medicare qualified government employment and social security covered employment.
(d) Transitional provision for Federal employment. Any individual who was a Federal employee at any time both during and before January 1983 will receive credit for quarters of Federal employment before January 1983 without paying tax. This transitional provision applies even if the Federal employee did not receive Federal wages for January 1983, for instance, because he or she was on approved leave without pay or on loan to a State or foreign agency.
(e) Conditions of entitlement. An individual who has worked in Medicare qualified government employment (or any related individual who would be entitled to social security cash benefits on the employee's record if Medicare qualified government employment qualified for those benefits) is entitled to hospital insurance benefits if he or she -
(1) Would meet the requirements of § 406.10, § 406.12, or § 406.13 if Medicare qualified government employment were social security covered employment; and
(2) Has filed an application for hospital insurance.
For purposes of this section not more than 12 months before the month of application may be counted towards the 25-month qualifying period specified in § 406.12(a).
(f) Beginning and end of entitlement -
(1) Basic rule. Subject to the limitations specified in paragraph (f)(2) and (f)(3) of this section, entitlement begins and ends as specified in § 406.10, § 406.12 or § 406.13, whichever is used to establish hospital insurance entitlement for the Federal, State, or local government employee or related individual.
(2) Limitations: Federal government employment.
(i) Hospital insurance entitlement based on Federal employment could not begin before January 1983.
(ii) No months before January 1983 may be used to satisfy the qualifying period required for entitlement based on disability.
(3) Limitations: State and local government employment.
(i) Hospital insurance entitlement based on State or local government employment cannot begin before April 1986.
(ii) No months before April 1986 may be used to satisfy the qualifying period required for entitlement based on disability.
[53 FR 47202, Nov. 22, 1988]