United States Benefit

Medicare

Federal health insurance program for people 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease.

At a Glance

Must be 65+, received SSDI for 24 months, have ALS,or have End-Stage Renal Disease.
Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent residentfor at least 5 continuous years.
For premium-free Part A, you or your spouse must haveworked and paid Medicare taxes for at least ...

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Basis

Required

Must be 65+, received SSDI for 24 months, have ALS,or have End-Stage Renal Disease.


                    medicare_eligibility_basis
                    
                      in
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        [age_65_plus, ssdi_recipient_24_months, als, esrd]

Exempt if any:

OR age ≥ 65
OR ssdi_months_received ≥ 24
OR has_als = true
OR has_esrd = true

Citizenship/Residency

Required

Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent residentfor at least 5 continuous years.


                    citizenship_status
                    
                      in
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        [us_citizen, lawful_permanent_resident_5_years]

Work History (Premium-Free Part A)

Required

For premium-free Part A, you or your spouse must haveworked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years.


                    medicare_work_credits
                    
                      ≥
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        40

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

Quick Info

Agency: CMS
Category: Healthcare
Last Verified: 2026-01-13

Ready to Apply?

Visit the official application portal to get started.

Apply Online

Official Sources

https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-wit...

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