Who Qualifies For Medicare? A Look at Medicare Eligibility Requirements

Who Qualifies For Medicare? A Look at Medicare Eligibility Requirements
By Jackie Jones

A majority of persons over the age of 65 and are citizens or have established permanent residency in the United States will most likely be an eligible candidate for free Medicare hospital insurance. You will be eligible at or beyond age 65 if you fall under the following categories:

• You either are a recipient or are eligible to be a recipient for Social Security benefits.
• You either are a recipient or are eligible to be a recipient for railroad retirement benefits.
• Either your spouse (living, deceased or otherwise) or you paid Medicare taxes while you were working in a government job.
• You are a dependent parent of a person who paid Medicare taxes while working in a government job.

If, for any reason, you do not fall under the categories above, you may still have the ability to receive Medicare hospital insurance by choosing to pay a preset monthly premium. However, you must sign up for the hospital insurance during the designated periods of enrollment. Please note that to receive full benefits when you need them, you should enroll yourself in Medicare several months before you turn 65 officially.

If you are under the age 65, you may still be eligible for free Medicare hospital insurance if you fall under one of the following categories:

• You have either received or been eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months.
• You have received a disability pension under the railroad retirement board and/or you have met certain conditions.
• You are effected by Lou Gehrig's disease.
• You have been employed in a government job where you paid Medicare taxes and/or you have met the conditions of the Social Security disability program.
• You are either the child or the widow(er) and you are age 50 or older of a person that has been employed in a government job where Medicare taxes were paid and/or the person had met the conditions of the Social Security disability program.
• You suffer from permanent kidney failure and are a recipient of maintenance dialysis and/or a kidney transplant.
• You either are a recipient or are eligible to be a recipient for railroad retirement benefits.
• You have been employed for a certain period of time in a government job that is covered by Medicare.

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Who Qualifies For Medicare? A Look at Medicare Eligibility Requirements