Key takeaways

  • Individuals under 65 years old may be eligible for Medicare if they’ve received Social Security disability benefits for 24 months or have a disability pension from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) and meet certain criteria.
  • Specific health conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and end stage renal disease (ESRD), can qualify individuals for Medicare before the age of 65 years.
  • To qualify for Medicare, individuals generally need to be a U.S. citizen or have been a legal resident for at least 5 years and, in most cases, receive care within the United States.

The age at which you retire does not affect Medicare eligibility.

The eligibility age for Medicare is currently 65 years old. This applies regardless of whether you’re still working at the time of your 65th birthday.

If you have health insurance through your employer when you apply for Medicare, it will remain your primary insurance, and Medicare will be considered secondary insurance.

You’re first eligible to apply for Medicare during the initial enrollment period. This is a 7-month period that begins 3 months before the month you turn 65 years old and ends 3 months after your birth month.

It’s possible to qualify for Medicare before age 65 years if you meet certain criteria. This article reviews those criteria and other Medicare eligibility requirements.

You may apply for Medicare at any age if you meet one of the following criteria:

Family members (such as a spouse) must be age 65 years to sign up for Medicare unless they have a qualifying disability or a specific medical condition. There are no other exemptions for joining Medicare before the age of 65 years.

Social Security disability benefits

If you’re under age 65 years and have received Social Security disability benefits for 24 months, you qualify for Medicare and will be automatically enrolled.

You can enroll in your 22nd month of receiving these benefits, and your coverage will begin in your 25th month.

If you’re entitled to monthly benefits based on an occupational disability and have been granted a disability freeze, you become eligible for Medicare on the 30th month after the date of the freeze.

RRB disability

If you receive a disability pension from the RRB and meet certain criteria, you may be eligible for Medicare before age 65 years.

If you’re entitled to monthly benefits based on an occupational disability and have been granted a disability freeze, you become eligible for Medicare on the 30th month after the date of the freeze.

Specific health conditions

You may be eligible for Medicare if you have either:

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): If you’ve been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, you become immediately eligible for Medicare upon collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
  • End stage renal disease (ESRD): If you have ESRD, also known as end stage kidney disease, and need regular dialysis or have a kidney transplant, you’re eligible for Medicare, and your coverage can begin shortly after your first dialysis treatment.

Family relationship

Under certain circumstances, and typically following a 24-month waiting period, you may be eligible for Medicare before age 65 years based on your relationship with a Medicare recipient, including:

  • disabled widow(er) under age 65 years
  • disabled surviving divorced spouses under age 65 years
  • disabled children

To qualify for Medicare under any circumstances, including due to age or disabilty, you’ll need to meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • U.S. citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States or have been a legal resident for a minimum of 5 years.
  • Address: You must have a stable U.S. address.
  • HSA: You can’t contribute to a health savings account (HSA). However, you can still use existing funds in your HSA.

In most cases, you’ll need to receive care within the United States.

If you’re imprisoned, the correctional facility you’ve been assigned to will generally provide and pay for your care, not Medicare.

Medicare is the U.S. government’s health insurance program for people 65 years or older. You could be eligible for Medicare before you reach age 65 if you have:

  • Social Security disability insurance
  • RRB disability pension
  • specific health conditions
  • family relationship

For questions about Medicare, visit the Medicare.gov website or call 1-800-633-4227.