Medicare Eligibility Age – NerdWallet

The Medicare eligibility age is 65, unless you qualify sooner because of certain health conditions^[0]

But don’t wait until after your 65th birthday to sign up for Medicare. You can and should sign up a few months before you turn 65^[0]

Here’s what you need to know about your Medicare eligibility age and when to sign up.

For most people, Medicare eligibility starts at age 65. There are over 58 million people who qualify for Medicare based on age as of March 2023 — about 88% of all Medicare beneficiaries^[0]

Some people automatically get Medicare when they turn 65 — but not everyone does.

If you’re already receiving Social Security payments as you turn 65, you’ll be automatically signed up for Medicare Part A and Part B when you become eligible. (Even though the full retirement age for Social Security is 67 for people born in 1960 or later, you can start claiming reduced benefits as early as age 62^[0]

So if you started taking Social Security payments early, you’ll automatically get Medicare when you turn 65^[0]

You become eligible for Medicare at age 65, but you should sign up before that if you want your coverage to start as soon as possible^[0]

You can sign up for Medicare during your initial enrollment period, which starts months before you turn 65 and lasts for seven months. For most people, it starts three months before the month you turn 65^[0]

If your birthday is on the first of the month, your initial enrollment period starts earlier — four months before your birthday month, rather than three^[0]

If you enroll before the month you turn 65, your coverage starts on the first day of your birthday month^[0]