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How Old Do You Have to Be to Get on Medicare?

Medicare is a federal program that provides senior citizens with access to health insurance. Citizens who receive Social Security disability benefits are also eligible to receive Medicare benefits. This program is mainly funded by Medicare tax plus the additional premiums that members are required to pay for some Medicare coverage.

  1. Medicare Eligibility Age

    • To be eligible to enroll in Medicare, you must be 65 years or older. Anyone who has paid Medicare tax, or whose spouse has done so, is eligible for free Medicare Part A coverage at age 65. Medicare Part A provides hospital insurance coverage. At this age, you are also eligible to enroll in additional types of Medicare coverage. If you are age 65 and you have never paid Medicare tax, you can purchase Part A as well as other parts of Medicare.

    Enrollment in Medicare

    • If you retire before age 65 and you start receiving Social Security retirement benefits, your Medicare coverage starts automatically on the first day of the month in which you turn 65 years old. You receive both Medicare Part A and Part B, which is medical insurance. Medicare Part B is not free, regardless of whether you paid Medicare tax or not. If you have not yet retired, you can enroll in Medicare three months before you turn age 65. You have up to three full months after your birthday to enroll without paying any penalties. It is also at this time that you can enroll for Medicare Part C advantage plans that include Medicare Part A and Part B coverage plus additional benefits, and Part D, prescription drug coverage.

    Age Exceptions

    • If you are disabled but not yet 65, have paid Medicare tax and have received Social Security disability benefits for two years, you are eligible to receive Medicare benefits. Regardless of your age when your disability benefits start, you are eligible to receive Medicare for the duration of your eligibility for disability benefits plus an additional eight years after those benefits have ended. The Social Security office automatically enrolls you in Medicare Part A and Part B beginning the third year that you receive disability benefits (on the 25th month). At this point, you are also eligible to enroll in Medicare Part C and Part D.

    Considerations

    • If you have not yet retired when you turn 65 years of age, you are still eligible to enroll in Medicare. Since Medicare Part A is free, if you have paid Medicare tax, you benefit by enrolling, even if you are still working. However, some 65-year-old people are still covered by employers' insurance. If this is your case, talk to your employer to find out your insurance policy rules. Some companies end your coverage if you join Medicare, and some companies require you to join if you have reached the eligibility age.

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