Medicare eligibility is dependent on various factors, including age, citizenship status, and work history. You can check your eligibility status online.
It’s important to remember that while verification checks are available online, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is the only one that can officially verify your eligibility.
You can contact the SSA at 800-772-1213 or visit their website.
You can verify your Medicare eligibility or estimate when you might be eligible on the Medicare.gov website.
You’ll need the following information in order to verify your eligibility:
- your date of birth
- whether you have worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years
- your disability status
The SSA website also allows you to check your eligibility for various benefits for different stages in life, such as:
- when you retire or age
- if you stop or limit work due to a disability or illness
- if you lose a spouse
- if you have difficulty paying for essentials, like food, your home, and clothing
The SSA estimates that their questionnaire should take around 10 minutes. It will finish by telling you what benefits you may be eligible for.
Generally, the Medicare eligibility requirements are as follows:
- 65 years of age
- United States citizen or legal resident for at least 5 years
You may be eligible for Medicare before you turn 65 years old if you:
- have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- have end stage renal disease (ESRD)
- have been receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for at least 24 months
The following table shows the various periods you can enroll in Medicare.
| Enrollment period | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Initial enrollment period (IEP): begins 3 months before your 65th birthday and ends 3 months after | Join any Medicare plan. |
| Open enrollment period (OEP): October 15 to December 7 | • Join, drop, or switch to another Medicare Advantage plan. • Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or vice versa. • Join, drop, or switch to another Part D plan if you’re with Original Medicare. |
| Medicare Advantage open enrollment period (MA OEP): January 1 to March 31 | MA OEP is only for people who already have Medicare Advantage. • Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan. • Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare. |
| Special enrollment period (SEP): SEP varies — only for certain life circumstances, such as getting Extra Help, getting Medicaid, moving, or losing your current coverage | • Join a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan. • Switch to another plan. |
You can check your eligibility on the Medicare or the SSA websites. But the only official way to verify your Medicare eligibility is through the SSA.
You can enroll in Medicare during set times of the year.