Medicare Eligibility & Enrollment

Original Medicare Eligibility

To be eligible for Original Medicare at age 65, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident who has lived in the U.S. for five continuous years.

• You or your spouse must have worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits.

• You or your spouse must be government employees or retirees who have not paid into Social Security but have paid Medicare payroll taxes.

You may also be eligible for Medicare benefits under 65 if:

• You have been receiving Social Security disability benefits or certain RRB disability benefits for at least 24 months.

• You have ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

• You have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and you or your spouse have paid Social Security taxes for a certain length of time.