Eighty-four percent of Medicare users are 65 or older.
Medicare is a United States national health insurance program, first signed into law in 1965 by Lyndon B. Johnson and later expanded to add consumer choice and benefits. Citizens who receive Social Security disability benefits are often eligible for Medicare and or enrolled automatically. However, most people who qualify for Medicare are not collecting Social Security.
Aged 65 or Older
All U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have lived in the country for at least five years are eligible for Medicare when they turn 65 years old. The majority of people who use Medicare are senior citizens. You may be eligible for premium-free Part A if you have paid 40 quarters, or 10 years, of Medicare taxes. If not, you can still enroll if you pay a monthly premium. You are also eligible to enroll in any other part of Medicare during your initial enrollment period. Initial enrollment periods last from three months before the month in which you turn 65 until three months after. You will need to contact the Social Security Administration in order to join Medicare during this time. (See Section 5 below for more information about Medicare Parts.)
Spouses
If you are the spouse of someone who paid 10 years of Medicare taxes, you are also eligible for premium-free Part A. You must be 65 as well, however. If you are under 65, you cannot enroll in any part of Medicare until your own initial enrollment period. You will also need to buy your own Medicare supplements if you decide that you need one.
Railroad Board Retirees
The Railroad Retirement Board manages survivor, unemployment, sickness and retirement benefits to U.S. railroad workers and their families. If you are eligible to receive or are already receiving retirement benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board, you are also eligible for premium-free Part A Medicare at age 65. You may also be eligible to enroll in Medicare if you are younger than 65 and are getting a disability pension from the RRB.
Dependent Parents
If you are the dependent parent of a dead child who was fully insured, you are also eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A at age 65. You will still have to pay for Part B Medicare if you choose to use it, however.
Parts B, C and D
Everyone who qualifies for Medicare can enroll in Part A, regardless of whether they pay premiums or get it premium-free. This also qualifies them for all other parts of Medicare, but enrolling in Parts B, C and D are optional. Each part has its own benefits. Part A offers inpatient hospital benefits, home health and hospice coverage. Part B, which always requires a premium, covers preventive services, health screenings and outpatient hospital care. Part D has coverage only for prescription drugs. Part C, Medicare Advantage, allows you to buy your Parts A and B benefits from a private insurance company. You may also get extra benefits you don't find in Original Medicare, such as vision or dental, with a Medicare Advantage plan. If your MA plan has prescription drug coverage, it's unnecessary to also enroll in Part D.
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