You can get Medicare before age 65 if you receive Social Security disability insurance or Railroad Retirement Board disability insurance or have certain health conditions. But most people become eligible around age 65.

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

The eligibility age for Medicare is currently 65 years old. This applies whether or not 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:

  • 3 months before the month you turn 65
  • during the month you turn 65
  • up to 3 months after your 65th birthday

This gives you 7 months to enroll.

It’s possible to qualify for Medicare before age 65 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 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.

Social Security disability benefits

If you’re under age 65 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.

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 under age 65 based on your relationship with a Medicare recipient, including:

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

To qualify for Medicare under any circumstances, including reaching age 65 and those outlined above, 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 have 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 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.