Are You Eligible For Medicare If You Never Worked

Do Husband And Wife Pay Separate Medicare Premiums

You and your spouse pay separate premiums for Medicare benefits under Medicare Part B, and Medicare Part D if you sign up for it. If one or both of you choose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you will continue to pay separately the Medicare Part B premium and possibly a separate plan premium.

Can You Get Medicare If You Never Worked

Yes, you can get Medicare if youve never worked, but youll have to pay a monthly premium. In 2022, Part A monthly premiums are up to $499 for seniors who paid Medicare taxes for less than seven years and six months, or 30 employment quarters. Seniors who paid Medicare taxes up to nine years and nine months, or 39 employment quarters, pay $274 for a Part A monthly premium.3,4

Why Do I Pay More For Medicare Than My Husband

That’s because the 2017 cost of living adjustment, or COLA, was 0.3 percent, and Social Security’s hold harmless rule limits your higher Part B premiums to this amount. I’m guessing you have higher Social Security benefits than your husband, so your Part B premium this year will also be higher than his.

Recommended Reading: Is Medicare A Federal Program

Applying For Ssdi On A Parents Record

Disabled children can often receive benefits on their parents records, potentially on an ongoing basis. The rules are different for minor children and adult children, but both age groups can often receive ongoing benefits from SSDI on their parents record without needing to apply to need-based SSI programs.

Can You Collect Social Security If You Never Worked

It may seem logical that if you never worked and therefore never paid into Social Security that you would not be eligible to receive Social Security benefits. Well, thats not the case. In fact, there are several different scenarios in which a person can receive Social Security benefits without ever having paid into the system, or even worked, for that matter.

Among the people eligible for Social Security without having worked are spouses and former spouses of people who are eligible for benefits, and survivors of beneficiaries along with their qualified children.

Read Also: Can I Use Medicare For Dental

How Does A Spouse Sign Up For Medicare

Anyone who is eligible for Medicare but isnt receiving Social Security retirement benefits at least four months before they turn 65 may need to sign up for Medicare manually by visiting their local Social Security office or by calling the Social Security Administration at 800-325-0778 to confirm their eligibility.

Regardless of whether you or your spouse have worked for 10 years, you should enroll in Medicare when you first become eligible, whether thats around your 65th birthday or earlier due to a qualifying disability.

If Your Spouse Turns 65 First

When your non-working spouse turns 65, they will be eligible for premium-free Part A and Medicare Part B if you are at least 62 years and have paid at least ten years of Medicare taxes.

If you are not yet 62, your spouse may still enroll in Medicare Part A . They will have to pay a premium for their Part A coverage. Once you turn 62 , your spouse will then be able to receive premium-free Part A.

*You must be married for at least one year before an older spouse can be eligible for Medicare based on your work record.

You May Like: Does Medicare Become Your Primary Insurance

Understanding Medicare Part A Eligibility

• You’re 65 and already receive benefits from Social Security.
• Youre 65 and already receive benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board .
• You’re under 65, have a disability, and are receiving disability benefits.
• You have ALS or ESRD .

If any of the above Medicare Part A eligibility qualifications apply to you, then youre considered Medicare eligible. Your Medicare card will be mailed to you three months before your 65th birthday or on your 25th month of disability.

If you arent getting benefits from Social Security at least four months before you turn 65, you’ll need to sign up with Social Security directly.2

When Do You Have To Pay For Medicare

If you dont qualify for premium-free Part A coverage, youll need to pay a monthly premium. Youll also have to pay a premium if you sign up for Part B, which is optional.

If you receive Social Security benefits, youll have these premiums automatically deducted from your checks. Medicare will bill you directly if you arent collecting Social Security.

If you sign up for Parts C and D, youll also need to pay premiums for those plans. If you receive Social Security benefits, you can request that the premiums be deducted from your checks, but this wont happen automatically. If you dont receive benefits, youll get a bill from Medicare for Part D and from the insurer for Part C.

Recommended Reading: How Do I Find A Medicare Advocate

Also Check: What Is Medicare Plan F

What If Ive Worked But Not Long Enough

You can still get Medicare Part A coverage, even if you dont fully meet the work requirement of 40 credits. Heres what youll pay in 2022:

• If you have 30 to 39 credits, your Part A premium will cost $274 per month.
• If you have fewer than 30 credits, your Part A premium will cost $499 per month.
• If youre able to continue working and you accumulate 40 work credits, you wont have to pay the monthly premium for Part A coverage.

Part A is the only part of Medicare that requires a specific amount of work history. You can enroll in Medicare parts B, C, and D without a work history.

Medicare Coverage For People Who Never Worked

Your Medicare Part A coverage is essentially paid for while in the workforce since you pay taxes for Medicare while employed. If you never worked, you likely will not be eligible for premium-free Part A, which covers inpatient care and hospital stays.

You can still get Part A without any work history to do so, youll have to pay a monthly premium like any other form of insurance. That premium could be reduced if you spent some time in the workforce.

For example, if you were employed for years but put your career on pause to be a stay-at-home parent or for any other reason, you could be eligible for a reduced premium.

If you never worked, then your Part A premium for 2022 will be $499. But if you spent at least 30 to 39 quarters in the workforce and paid Medicare taxes, your premium could be reduced to $274.

Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient care, comes with a monthly premium that is not affected by your work history.

Don’t Miss: Are Resident Aliens Eligible For Medicare

What Does Medicare Cover

Medicare helps pay for certain health care services and durable medical equipment. To have full Medicare coverage, Medicare beneficiaries must have Part A and Part B .

The following is a partial list of Medicare-covered services. The covered services listed below may require payment of deductibles and Co-Payments.

If you have questions about covered services, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227.

Who Misses Out On Social Security Benefits And Why

InvestopediaForbes AdvisorThe Motley Fool, CredibleInsider

• The Bottom Line

Does everyone get Social Security? No. Still, American workers who will not qualify for Social Security retirement benefits are relatively rare. If you are one of them, its important to know, so you can secure other sources of income or determine whether its possible for you to become eligible. What follows are the eight most common categories of workers who lack Social Security eligibility and thus are not entitled to benefits.

Don’t Miss: How To Pick The Best Medicare Plan

Medicare Eligibility Age Chart

Medicare eligibility always happens when you turn 65. However, the age requirement for retirement benefits from Social Security varies. You can start receiving partial retirement benefits at age 62, and the full retirement age is between 66 and 67 years old, depending on what year you were born. So as you can see in the Medicare eligibility chart below, you’ll qualify for Medicare one to two years before you start getting full retirement benefits.

Medicare uses the same eligibility criteria for determining disability benefits as the Social Security Administration. If you qualify for the Social Security Disability Insurance program, you would also be eligible for Medicare before age 65.

After you start receiving disability benefits, there is usually a two-year waiting period before you can start receiving health coverage through Medicare. During this time, you may be eligible for other types of health insurance such as coverage through a former employer, a health insurance marketplace plan or Medicaid.

There are two exceptions to when coverage begins:

Those who qualify for Medicare because of ESRD must meet both the health criteria and the work requirements for themselves or a family member.

Can You Get Medicare If You Have Never Worked

As outlined above, you may still get Medicare even if you have never worked a day in your life. You may even potentially qualify for premium-free Part A, provided that your spouse has paid Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters and meets all other Medicare eligibility requirements. Those 40 quarters do not need to be consecutive.

Also Check: What’s Part B Medicare

Medical Conditions And Disabilities

If you have certain disabilities, you may be eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A benefits even if youre under 65 years old.

Social Security Disability Insurance recipients

If you have a disability and have been receiving SSDI benefits for at least 24 months , you will automatically be enrolled in premium-free Medicare at the beginning of the 25th month.

ESRD

If your doctor has diagnosed you with ESRD and youve received a kidney transplant or youre on dialysis, you qualify for Medicare benefits if one of the following criteria applies:

• you qualify for Social Security retirement benefits
• you qualify for Railroad Retirement Board benefits
• your spouse or parent worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits

When you become eligible for Medicare benefits depends on whether you receive dialysis at home or in a treatment facility:

• If youre receiving dialysis in your home, you can apply for Medicare the first day you begin your dialysis program. You need to be sure to apply before the third month of treatment.
• If you receive dialysis in a treatment facility, you can apply for Medicare on the first day of the fourth month of your treatment.

If youre scheduled to receive a kidney transplant, you can apply for Medicare on the first day of the month youre admitted to the hospital to start preparing for the transplant. But if your transplant is delayed, your Medicare benefits wont start until 2 months before the month your transplant takes place.

What If I Have To Pay For Medicare Part A

If a person is not eligible for premium-free Part A, they may be able to buy Part A.

However, they will need to pay the monthly premium, which ranges from $252 to $458. The premium amount depends on how many quarters a person has paid taxes.

If a person buys Part A, they may also need to get Part B, which is medical insurance. The basic premium for Part B in 2020 is $144.60.

If a person is getting Social Security benefits, they will be automatically enrolled in original Medicare, Part A and Part B, when they turn 65 years old.

If a person needs to enroll, there are different Medicare enrollment periods.

Don’t Miss: How To Apply For Medicare By Phone

Do I Qualify For Medicare If I Never Worked

If you are 65 or older and a U.S. citizen or have been a permanent resident for at least five years, you can pay monthly premiums to receive Part A and Part B. You can otherwise qualify for Medicare if you have certain chronic conditions or have received disability benefits for at least two years. Even if you have never worked, you may qualify for premium-free Part A.

Do You Need Extra Help Paying Medicare Premiums

If you never worked and are not eligible for premium-free Medicare, health care can become a considerable expense for you in retirement. There are some options available if you need help paying your Medicare premiums.

You may want to look into Medicaid, an assistance program designed to help cover your health care if you cant afford other forms of insurance. You typically can only qualify for Medicaid if you have a very low level of income.

Another option could be to take advantage of a Medicare Savings Program, where your state can help you pay some of your Medicare costs like your deductible or coinsurance. According to the Medicare website, there are four different programs with their own qualifications, but you typically need to show that you have low income or lack of resources.

You also could qualify for Supplemental Security Income benefits to help lighten your financial burden. SSI benefits are available if you have limited income and are 65 and older, blind or have a disability.

An option that could help specifically with drug prices is Extra Help. This program can pay your prescription drug costs, and you should be eligible for it if you qualify for Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or SSI benefits.

Also Check: Did Medicare Send Out New Cards

How Social Security And Medicare Taxes Are Calculated And Withheld Together As A Federal Tax

The taxes you pay while working that eventually qualify you for premium-free Medicare Part A come from the Federal Insurance Contributions Act . This tax law takes a percentage from paychecks and income, putting these subtractions toward the Social Security and Medicare programs.

The taxes have different rates, but both employers and employees must share the FICA payments as described below.

• The Social Security tax rate is 12.4%, split between the employer and employee with a rate of 6.2% for each .

• The Medicare tax rate is 1.45% for the employer and 1.45% for the employee, or 2.9% total.

There are many Medicare options available, and its normal for you to have questions. If you need help getting answers, feel free to give eHealth a call to speak with a licensed insurance agent about your coverage needs. Or, if you prefer, you can view Medicare plan options in your area right from your home just enter your zip code into the plan finder tool on this page to get started.

To learn about Medicare plans you may be eligible for, you can:

• Contact the Medicare plan directly.
• Contact a licensed insurance agency such as Medicare Consumer Guides parent company, eHealth.
• Or enter your zip code where requested on this page to see quote.

What Are The Assets And How Are They Calculated

SSI is pretty strict in their definition of assets. Assets are pretty much anything that you own that has a measurable cash surrender value. The only exceptions in their consideration are home and car ownership.

They will not count the home you live in, or a car that you own. Everything else is fair game. That means that if you have any investments, retirement savings, or money in the bank, they will count those as assets and those assets will be added.

These are about the only assets that are not considered by SSI.

If you have life insurance, that also has a cash surrender value and can be counted as well. If you are collecting alimony or child support, that also is often counted as income.

If you reach the point of needing SSI but are concerned about being over their limits, think about ways that you may be able to manage your assets.

Al and I have always maintained separate bank accounts specifically so that if I needed some of the asset-based supports, it would be less complicated to apply.

That will also help us if Al needs to apply for support in the future, as joint bank accounts are considered in their full amount for each person on the account.

You do need to prove the existence of every asset you have, and in many cases, SSI has an annual recertification process where you reconfirm that you still meet the asset limits.

Recommended Reading: Will Medicare Pay For Dental Care

Can I Get Ssi Disability Benefits If I Never Had A Job

The two major types of disability benefits available through the SSA are Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance . Both are designed to make monthly payments to claimants who cannot work because they suffer from severe long-term disabilities. However, while each of these programs has a similar purpose, the employment standards for qualifying are not the same.

If you apply to SSDI, you usually need a work history that shows you have paid into the system before you can get benefits out of the system. SSDI is run like any other insurance program, with beneficiaries paying into the program so they can get benefits if they ever need them. However, many people can still qualify for SSDI benefits on a family members record, specifically for spouses or children who do not work.

SSI is not a credit-based system and is instead a need-based system. This means that you can usually apply to SSI as a last resort even if there is no other way to get disability benefits through the SSDI system.