Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for:
- People age 65 or older.
- People under age 65 with certain disabilities.
- People of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant).
Here are some simple guidelines. You can get Part A at age 65 without having to pay premiums if:
- You already get (or are eligible to receive) retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
- You or your spouse had a Medicare-covered form of employment for at least ten years.
If you are under 65, you can get Part A without having to pay premiums if you have:
- Received Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months.
- End-Stage Renal Disease and meet certain requirements.
Learn about the four parts of Medicare .
To find out if your parent qualifies for Medicare, use the Medicare Eligibility tool .