At What Age Can You Get Medicare? In the news, you might hear a lot about Medicare eligibility age could be lowered to 62, or even 60. Currently, Medicare eligibility begins at age 65 for most people. However, you can get Medicare before the age of 65 in certain situations.
Keep reading to know more about how you can qualify for Medicare at different ages.
Read More: Getting Medicare Under the Age of 65
What is the Medicare eligibility age?
You may decide to retire at the age of 62 because you can start collecting Social Security at this age and feel ready to move to a new stage in life. According to the Social Security Administration, you may start receiving retirement benefits as early as age 62. An employer’s health benefits will likely expire upon retirement and you may be wondering about the age of your Medicare eligibility.
Medicare is the state health care program for people age 65 or older and people under the age of 65 who have certain disabilities whose eligible age for Medicare does not correlate with your retirement time and early retirement will not make you eligible for Medicare. In general, the only ways to be eligible for Medicare before age 65 are to:
- If You have kidney disease at the end of the stage
- Have ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- If You have a disability and are receiving disability benefits from Social Security for at least 24 months
If you retire at 62 and not have a disability, you generally will have to wait three years to get Medicare coverage. You can search on eHealth for an affordable individual or family health insurance plan while you wait to reach Medicare age.
There are certain benefits to waiting for retirement after age 62 besides reaching Medicare age. If you retire early, your benefits will be cut slightly for each month before full retirement age, according to the Social Security Administration. The amount to be reduced depends on your year of birth.
Read More : what are the 4 phases of Medicare part D coverage
Medicare age eligibility exceptions
When you are under 65, you are eligible for Medicare if there are:
Specific health conditions
- You have been entitled to Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months (it does not need to be consecutive); or
- You receive a railroad disability pension and meet certain conditions; or
- You have Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which prepares you immediately; or
- You have permanent kidney failure that requires regular dialysis or a kidney transplant – and you or your spouse have paid Social Security taxes for a specified period, depending on your age.
Eligibility for ESRD Medicare
You may qualify for ESRD if you have been diagnosed with kidney failure and you:
- You are receiving dialysis treatments or have a kidney transplant You are eligible for SSDI
- You qualify for railroad retirement benefits ,Or, you, your spouse, or one of your parents have paid Medicare taxes for a sufficient period of time as determined by the Social Security Administration.
If you are under 65 and have ESRD, the time to start your Medicare benefits depends on your specific circumstances, including when you apply for Medicare, whether you receive dialysis at home or in a facility, and whether you are You will get a kidney transplant. If you qualify for ESRD Medicare, you can enroll in Parts A and B together at any time. Part A will be retroactive for up to 12 months, but cannot begin before the first month in which you are eligible for ESRD Medicare.
Note: If you are a railroad worker with ESRD, you must contact Social Security – not the Railroad Retirement Board – to find out if you qualify for Medicare.
Family relationship
Under certain circumstances, and after a waiting period of 24 months, you may be eligible for Medicare under the age of 65 based on your relationship with a Medicare recipient, including:
- A disabled widow (A) under the age of 65
- Surviving spouses with disabilities under the age of 65
- Disabled children
How to Enroll for Medicare?
If you meet the requirements for people age 65 or older, you can receive Medicare Part A without any premiums. However, if you or your spouse do not pay Medicare taxes, you may have to pay Part A. Medicare Part A covers hospital insurance. Medicare Part B covers things like outpatient care, preventive services, and medical equipment. It can also cover part-time home health services and naturopathy. If you decide you also want Medicare Part B, you must pay a monthly premium.
If you have received Social Security disability benefits for 24 months, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare at the start of the 25th month. If you have Lou Gehrig’s disease, you will be automatically registered the first month you start receiving benefits. In these cases, enrollment includes both Medicare Part A and Part B. However, if you have end-stage kidney disease, your Medicare benefits will be determined on a case-by-case basis. In this case, you will need to apply manually.
Read More: Is Medicare Part B Coverage Enough for Me?
Can you get on Medicare at age 62
You can only register for Medicare insurance at age 62 if you meet one of these criteria: you have already been affiliated with Social Insurance (SSDI) for at least two years. You are under SSDI because you have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Can my wife get Medicare at 62
When you are 62 and your spouse is 65 years old, your spouse can usually receive Medicare insurance benefits without premiums. Until the age of 62, your spouse may receive Part A of Medicare insurance, but will have to pay premiums if he or she does not complete the required 40 quarters of work.
Born in 1961 when can I get Medicare
If you were born from 1960 and later, you will reach retirement age at 67. You will automatically receive Medicare insurance benefits if you receive Social Security pension benefits at age 65. Starting Social Security at age 62 will not give you Medicare insurance until the age of 65.
At what age are you eligible for Social Security
You can get social security pension benefits from the age of 62. However, we will reduce your benefits if you retire before full retirement age.
Common Questions about At What Age Can You Get Medicare ?
Here we will help you and we will answer most of the common questions about Medicare enrollment age:
Do I need to sign up for Medicare at 65 if I’m still working?
Medicare eligibility begins at age 65, and registering on time can help you avoid premium surcharges. But if you work at age 65, you get a little more space.
Eligibility for Medicare begins at age 65. The first registration window is the seven-month period that begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after that. Seniors are generally advised to sign up on time to avoid penalties that can be very costly over the course of their retirement period.
Specifically, if you fail to enroll in Medicare on time, you risk being charged an additional 10 percent in Medicare Part B installments for every year long that you go without coverage when you’re eligible. (Because Medicare Part A is usually free, the late registration penalty doesn’t apply to most people.) However, if you are still working at the age of 65, a different set of rules apply.
Do I have to apply for Medicare or do I get it automatically?
If you already collect some form of Social Security (either retirement benefits or disability benefits) when you qualify for Medicare, you will be automatically enrolled in both Part A and Part B. Receive a social security disability for a period of 24 months
If you do not collect Social Security when you become eligible for Medicare, you must enroll through Social Security. You can do this online, over the phone, in person, or at your local Social Security office.
If you want to cover prescription medications from Part D of the Medicare program, you must actively enroll in them yourself. This is true whether you are automatically enrolled in Medicare or if you enroll yourself.
Keep in mind that people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) or End-of-Stage Rental Disease (ESRD) do not have to collect Social Security for Disability Benefits for a period of 24 months to qualify for Medicare.
When can I apply for Medicare?
You can apply for Medicare during the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). IEP is the seven months surrounding your 65th birthday. It includes the three months before you turn 65, the month you turn 65, and the three months after. If you have current employer insurance, you can also register while you are working and for up to eight months after you stop working or lose your coverage. This is a window of time called the Special Registration Period for Part B (SEP), if you do not register during these times, you can register during the General Registration Period (GEP), which runs from January 1 through March 31 of each year. Your coverage will start on the 1st of July of the year in which you register. You may face a late registration penalty if you qualify for Part B prior to enrolling during the GEP. If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 months, you are automatically registered with Medicare the 25th month that you receive SSDI.
Do I receive a notice about Medicare when I turn 65?
If you are already receiving Social Security benefits, you will get information about Medicare in the mail three months before you turn 65. If you do not receive Social Security benefits, you must actively enroll in Medicare yourself by contacting your local Social Security office. You will not receive a notification in the mail informing you that you qualify for Medicare
Read More:
