A person who resides outside the U.S. is eligible to enroll in SMI only if the person
is eligible for HI. This is because a foreign resident cannot meet the U.S. residence
requirement in HI 00805.005 A.2., even if the person is a citizen of the United States.
The SMI IEP for foreign residents who are eligible for HI is determined based on the month in which the foreign resident could have become entitled to HI if the foreign resident had filed an application for HI entitlement.
EXAMPLE: William McGee resides in France. William was fully insured when William attained age
65 in 7/89. William's IEP, therefore, was 4/89 through 10/89. Because William was
working full time, William did not enroll for social security at that time. When William
retired in 1/91, William requested cash benefits, HI and SMI, as William was returning
to the U.S. shortly.
William was awarded monthly benefits and HI as of 7/90, with SMI effective 7/91 based
on the GEP enrollment, see HI 00805.025. The SMI premium rate was increased 10 percent because 17 months elapsed after the
end of William's IEP (based on eligibility for HI) through the end of the 1991 GEP
(no employer group health plan coverage involved).