Medicare Mistake #4:
Thinking You Must Reach Retirement Age
Due to the confusion that persists around insurance topics, it makes sense that people create simpler ways to categorize the different products. I have personally heard people reference the difference between Marketplace health insurance and Medicare as the “young people’s insurance” and the “old people’s insurance”. This assumption is further enforced when you look around and see Medicare advertisements with only seniors represented.
Additionally, because people correlate Medicare coverage with “being old”, they believe that they must wait until they reach full retirement age, which is 66 or 67, depending on when you’re born. However, you must sign up for Medicare at age 65 to avoid penalties, unless you have health coverage from your job, or your spouse’s current place of employment.
To nip this confusion in the bud, keep reading to learn who qualifies for Medicare coverage, both above and below the age of 65.
If you are under 65, you qualify for Medicare if you:
- Have end-stage renal disease
- Received Social Security Disability income payments for 24 months
- You are in the first month of disability for ALS-Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
- Received a disability pension from the Railroad Retirement Board
- Have permanent Kidney failure requiring dialysis on a regular basis, or a kidney transplant (based on whether you and/or your spouse has paid Social Security for a length of time, dependent on age)
If you are over 65, you qualify for Medicare if:
- You are a United States citizen.
- You are a legal resident who has lived in the country for a minimum of five years.
- You meet the eligibility requirements for Social Security railroad retirement benefits.
- You are a government employee or a retiree who has not paid into Social Security but did pay Medicare taxes while working.
Don’t wait until you retire and are collecting Social Security benefits to enroll in Medicare.
What’s Your Next Step?
Now that you’ve determined whether or not you would be eligible for Medicare, what do you do? Ideally, your next move should be to contact a licensed insurance agent. An experienced agent can ensure that you are walked through various plan options to fit your needs. Medicare can be a complicated road to navigate on your own, but having an agent guide you and make themselves available for any questions or obstacles you come across will make receiving healthcare a smooth journey.
Here at Empower Brokerage, we can connect you with a friendly, licensed agent. Click here to get started.
Got Medicare Questions?
We hope that this information on retirement is useful to you.
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This article was updated on July 30, 2025.