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Do I qualify for Medicare if I’ve never worked? You can sometimes qualify for Medicare if you have never worked, based on your spouse’s work history
You cannot qualify for your spouse’s benefits if you developed a disability before the age of 65
You can qualify under certain circumstances even if you are divorced or your spouse has passed away
Even if you do not qualify for Medicare Part A based on you or your spouse’s work history, you can typically still receive the benefits if you pay a premium
You may be asking yourself, “Do I qualify for Medicare if I’ve never worked?”, or, “can I get Medicare if I never worked?” or even, “are you eligible for Medicare if you never worked?” Well, you may be interested to learn that it is possible to qualify for Medicare without work history.
As it turns out, amount of time you have worked is only relevant for receiving Medicare Part A benefits, which are hospital benefits. You need to have earned about 40 credits by paying Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes in order to qualify for Medicare Part A without paying the premium.
These 40 credits for Medicare are roughly equivalent to ten years of work paying payroll taxes. These do not affect your ability to get Medicare Part B, which is medical coverage for visits to doctor’s offices and outpatient care, coverage for medical equipment, and Medicare Part D, which is coverage for prescriptions. Most people have to pay into these services, regardless of work history.
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The answer to the question “can you get Medicare if you never worked?” is actually quite simple. However, if you’re wondering, “is everyone eligible for Medicare?” things can get a little more complicated. Allow us to explain who gets Medicare and answer the question, do you have to take Medicare?
If you haven’t worked enough in your lifetime to earn the necessary 40 credits, it may be possible to qualify for Medicare Part A benefits based on your spouse’s work history and spouse Medicare eligibility.
In order to qualify for this provision, you must be 65 or older. When it comes to Medicare for spouses under 65, you will likely be pleased to know that the rules state that your spouse only needs to be least 62 or older for them to qualify. In some cases, you can still receive the benefits if you are 65 and divorced or if you are a widow, so no more frantically searching terms like “Medicare for spouse” or “can my wife get Medicare if I am on disability?”
If you are currently married and your spouse qualifies for social security benefits and Medicare Part A premiums, you can apply as long as you have been married for at least a year prior to submitting the application.
If you are divorced, you may be eligible if your former spouse is, as long as you were married for at least ten years. You must also be currently single.
You can also qualify if your spouse has passed away. You must have been married for at least nine months before the death of your spouse and you must be currently single.
Usually, this question is asked in conjunction with the question, “can you get Medicare if you are still working?” If you are still working past 65 years of age, you may also still be eligible for your employer’s sponsored health insurance program, leaving you to wonder “when can I collect Medicare?” and “do I need Medicare if I have insurance already?”
So, does everyone have to enroll in Medicare? Technically, it is not mandatory to enroll in Medicare, but you should know that it is possible to lose certain benefits and be on the hook for late enrollment penalties should you decide to enroll in Medicare at a later date. You can learn more about these circumstances right here.
If you do not qualify based on your own work history or the credits of your spouse, it is still possible to pay for your Medicare Part A premiums and receive coverage.
In order to get these benefits, you must be at least 65 years of age and a United States citizen or a legal resident in the United States for a minimum of five years.
The amount of money that you have to pay into your premium will depend on your work history.
If you have less than 30 work credits, you will pay the maximum premium amount for the year, which was $458 in 2020. If you have more than 30 credits, but less than 40 credits, you will be able to pay a slightly smaller amount at around $252.00 (per 2020 costs).
You also have the option to continue working after you reach the age of 65 until you have earned the necessary 40 credits, in which case you will qualify for the free premium and Medicare Part A benefits.
If you pay your Medicare Part A premium, you will not have to pay more for your Part B or Part D coverage. It is possible to only enroll in Part B and not pay for Part A if your work history did not make you eligible for the free benefits. However, if you pay the premium for Part A, you must also enroll in Part B and pay those premiums, as well.
You can purchase part D if you are enrolled in either A or B. You may not enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or get Medigap supplemental insurance coverage if you are not enrolled in both parts A and B.
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