|  | Healthcare Industry | Health Insurance

What Age Do You Need to Be to Get Medicare?

Medicare is one of the United States government's insurance programs for senior citizens and people with disabilities. Generally, all American citizens who pay Medicare tax receives basic Medicare coverage when they reach 65 years of age. However, under certain specific conditions, exceptions to these rules allow you to receive Medicare benefits before retirement age.

  1. Medicare at Retirement

    • The common age to receive Medicare is 65. If you are already receiving Social Security benefits (such as retirement), you will be automatically enrolled in Part A and Part B, and you will receive your Medicare card three months before you turn 65 years of age. Your coverage will start in the first day of the month of your birthday. It is also at this moment that you are eligible to get other Medicare coverage, such as Medicare Part C (Advantage Plans) and Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plans). You can enroll three months before the month of your 65th birthday, but your coverage also starts when you turn 65 years old.

    Medicare and Disability

    • Even though the general rules say that you are eligible to receive Medicare at 65 years of age, Medicare has some exceptions to this rule. If you have a disability condition that qualifies you to receive Social Security disability benefits, you are also eligible to receive Medicare, even if you are younger than 65 years of age. If you receive Social Security disability benefits for 24 months, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare on your 25th month of disability benefits. Your Medicare coverage will then last for all the time you have disability benefits. If you return to work and you lose your disability benefits, coverage will last up to 8 1/2 years after you lose disability benefits, or longer if you reach age 65.

    Other Conditions

    • If you receive Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits, you also qualify to receive Medicare benefits before age 65. In this case, you also qualify for Medicare after 24 months of benefits. If you have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and you are younger than 65 years of age, you qualify for Medicare in the moment your Social Security benefits start. If you are the child of a person who has worked at a government job in which he paid Medicare tax and you qualify for Social Security benefits, you also can receive Medicare.

    Medicare After Disability Benefits

    • If you are receiving Social Security benefits and you were enrolled in Medicare, but you eventually go back to work after several years, you will lose your Social Security benefits. Your Medicare benefits can last up to 8 1/2 years after you go back to work. After this time, if you are not 65 years old yet, you will lose your Medicare benefits. However, if you still have a disability, the Social Security Administration allows you to purchase Medicare Part A until you reach the age of retirement.

Health Insurance - Related Articles