• 65 years and older

• Permanent Disability (SSDI)

• ALS (Lou-Gehrig’s Disease)

• End-Stage Renal Disease

No, Medicare is not free. In the simplest terms:

Part A is free if you or your spouse have worked 40 quarters (10 years) and paid Medicare taxes.

Part A has a deductible of $1736 (2026) per benefit period.

Part B has a monthly premium of $202.90 (2026).

Part B has an annual deductible of $283 (2026).

Part B has an 80/20 coinsurance.

No. Medicare provides coverage for hospital (Part A) and medical (Part B) care.

It does not cover: Prescription Drugs, Dental, Vision, Hearing, or Routine Physical Exams.

If you are currently receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement or Disability benefits, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare 3 months prior to your 65th birthday. If you wish to delay Part B enrollment, you will need to contact the Social Security Administration and follow their instructions for delaying enrollment.

You can generally enroll in Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). This period is a 7-month window around your birthday month. The period begins 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65. 

You can apply for Medicare online through the Social Security Administration or call 1-800-772-1213.

Not necessarily. If you’re still actively working and covered by an employer group health plan, you may be able to delay some parts of Medicare without a late-enrollment penalty.

However, the rules can depend on who the coverage is through, whether it’s based on current employment, and the size of the employer. For example, once you’re Medicare-eligible, coverage through an employer with fewer than 20 employees may work differently than coverage through a larger employer.

Before delaying Medicare, it’s important to confirm how your employer coverage coordinates with Medicare. A quick review can help determine whether you should enroll in Part A, Part B, both, or potentially delay enrollment.