The Medicare eligibility age is 65, except you qualify sooner due to sure well being circumstances
. Earlier than age 65, individuals can qualify for Medicare primarily based on incapacity, end-stage renal illness or Lou Gehrig’s illness, often known as ALS.
However don’t wait till after your 65th birthday to join Medicare. You possibly can and will enroll a couple of months earlier than you flip 65
.
Right here’s what it’s essential to learn about your Medicare eligibility age and when to enroll.
What is the Medicare eligibility age?
For most individuals, Medicare eligibility begins at age 65. There are over 58 million individuals who qualify for Medicare primarily based on age as of March 2023 — about 88% of all Medicare beneficiaries
.
Do I routinely get Medicare once I flip 65?
Some individuals routinely get Medicare once they flip 65 — however not everybody does.
In the event you’re already receiving Social Safety funds as you flip 65, you’ll be routinely signed up for Medicare Half A and Half B if you grow to be eligible. (Although the full retirement age for Social Safety is 67 for individuals born in 1960 or later, you can begin claiming diminished advantages as early as age 62
.)
So in the event you began taking Social Safety funds early, you’ll routinely get Medicare if you flip 65
.
Enroll in Medicare earlier than your 65th birthday
You grow to be eligible for Medicare at age 65, however you need to enroll earlier than that if you need your protection to start out as quickly as doable
.
You possibly can join Medicare throughout your preliminary enrollment interval, which begins months earlier than you flip 65 and lasts for seven months. For most individuals, it begins three months earlier than the month you flip 65
. So in case your birthday is in April, for instance, you possibly can enroll beginning Jan. 1. Your preliminary enrollment interval ends on the final day of the month three months after you flip 65.
In case your birthday is on the primary of the month, your preliminary enrollment interval begins earlier — 4 months earlier than your birthday month, fairly than three
. So in case your birthday is April 1, you possibly can enroll beginning the earlier Dec. 1. For this instance, your preliminary enrollment interval would finish June 30, or two months after your flip 65.
In the event you enroll earlier than the month you flip 65, your protection begins on the primary day of your birthday month
. In the event you enroll throughout or after your birthday month, Medicare protection begins the month after you enroll.
