What Age Do People Become Eligible for Medicare Benefits?

Medicare provides health insurance for elderly and disabled people. Most elderly people qualify and disabled people may also qualify if they receive Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If you have questions about when you will become eligible for Medicare benefits, contact the Social Security Administration for specific information about your case.

Age 65

• Most people become eligible for Medicare benefits at age 65. If you receive Social Security benefits at that time, such as retirement benefits, you do not need to apply for Medicare when you turn 65; shortly before you turn 65, you should receive information in the mail about your eligibility and instructions about how to sign up for Medicare. If you do not receive information in the mail because you do not receive Social Security benefits yet, you must apply for Medicare benefits.

People on SSDI

• People that receive Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) become eligible for Medicare benefits after they have been eligible for SSDI for two years. If you become eligible for Medicare because you have a disability that allows you to qualify for SSDI, you will receive information in the mail shortly before you become eligible. To qualify for SSDI, you must have worked and paid into Social Security for a certain amount of time, so very young people often do not qualify.

People on SSI

• People that receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to a disability become eligible for Medicare benefits after they have been eligible for SSI for two years. As with SSDI, if you become eligible for Medicare because you have a disability that allows you to qualify for SSI, you will receive information in the mail shortly before you become eligible. People that have never worked before or that have not paid into Social Security enough to qualify for SSDI can still qualify for SSI, so young people may still qualify.

Other Eligible People

• Some other people become eligible for Medicare before age 65. For instance, disabled widows or widowers ages 50 to 65 that have not applied for disability benefits because they receive other Social Security benefits may qualify for Medicare and should apply. People with kidney failure may qualify, as may those who have a spouse or child with kidney failure. People that worked for the government but become disabled before age 65 may qualify.

How to Apply

• Visit your local Social Security Administration office to apply for Medicare (see link in Resources section for addresses). You can apply online if you prefer (see Resources) if you are at least 64 years and eight months old and do not want to apply for any other Social Security benefits at this time. Contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 for more information about how to apply.