Get started with Medicare
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older who meet citizenship or residency requirements. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Some people get Medicare automatically, others have to actively sign up -- it depends if you start getting retirement or disability benefits from Social Security before you turn 65.
What do Social Security benefits have to do with getting Medicare?
What are Medicare's citizenship or residency requirements?
Get basic information & next steps
Start with the basics and then get specific steps to follow.
Getting Social Security Benefits before 65
Follow this path to sign up for Medicare if you’re getting retirement or disability benefits from Social Security at least 4 months before turning 65.
Getting Social Security Benefits after 65
Follow this path to sign up for Medicare if you’re waiting until 65 or older to get retirement benefits from Social Security.
Not sure which path is right for you?
Learn about less common paths to getting started with Medicare.