Generally, you are eligible for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment and you are 65 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

If you are not 65, you might also qualify for coverage if you have a disability or with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant).

Here are some simple guidelines. You can get Part A at age 65 without having to pay premiums if:

• You already get retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
• You are eligible to get Social Security or Railroad benefits but have not yet filed for them.
• You or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment.

If you are under 65, you can get Part A without having to pay premiums if:

• You have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement
• Board disability benefit for 24 months. You are a kidney dialysis or kidney transplant patient.

While you don’t have to pay a premium for Part A if you meet one of those conditions, you must pay for Part B if you want it. It is deducted from your Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement check. If you don’t get any of the above payments, Medicare sends you a bill for your Part B premium every 3 months.

What is the difference between Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage plans?

Both Medicare Supplement Insurance and Medicare Advantage plans are private Medicare options sold through individual insurance companies.

The primary difference between these types of insurance:

• Medicare Supplement Insurance is used along with Original Medicare to help pay certain Medicare out-of-pocket costs. These costs can include costs like Medicare Part A coinsurance, the Medicare Part A deductible, or Part B coinsurance. Medigap plans do not typically offer additional benefits beyond what Original Medicare covers.
• Medicare Advantage is used as an alternative to Original Medicare. A Medicare Advantage plan will work with your Original Medicare coverage. You’ll receive the same benefits that are offered by Medicare Part A and Part B but from a private insurance company.

  Many Medicare Advantage plans offer additional coverage for services like prescription drugs, routine dental care, vision and hearing benefits, and more.

You cannot have a Medicare Advantage plan and a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan at the same time.