Hospital Insurance Part A

Most people age 65 or older who are citizens or ­permanent residents of the United States are eligible for free Medicare hospital insurance (Part A). You are eligible at age 65 if:

      * You receive or are eligible to receive Social Security benefits; or
      * You receive or are eligible to receive railroad retirement benefits; or
      * You or your spouse (living or deceased, including divorced spouses) worked long enough in a
         government job where Medicare taxes were paid; or
      * You are the dependent parent of a fully insured deceased child.

If you do not meet these requirements, you may be able to get Medicare hospital insurance by paying a monthly premium. Usually, you can sign up for this hospital insurance only during designated enrollment periods.

NOTE: Even though the full retirement age is no longer 65, you should sign up for Medicare three months before your 65th birthday.

Before age 65, you are eligible for free Medicare hospital insurance if:

      * You have been entitled to Social Security disability benefits for 24 months; or
      * You receive a disability pension from the railroad retirement board and meet certain conditions; or
      * If you receive Social Security disability benefits because you have Lou Gehrig's disease
         (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis); or
      * You worked long enough in a government job where Medicare taxes were paid and you meet the
         requirements of the Social Security disability program; or
      * You are the child or widow(er) age 50 or older, including a divorced widow(er), of someone who has
         worked long enough in a government job where Medicare taxes were paid and you meet the 
          requirements of the Social Security disability program.
      * You have permanent kidney failure and you receive maintenance dialysis or a kidney transplant and:
                 - You are eligible for or receive monthly benefits under Social Security or the railroad retirement
                    system; or
                 - You have worked long enough in a Medicare­covered government job; or
                 - You are the child or spouse (including a divorced spouse) of a worker (living or deceased) who has
                    worked long enough under Social Security or in a Medicare-covered government job.