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.