Who is eligible for Medicare, and from when
Enter your date of birth: the calculator gives the month Medicare can start and your seven-month sign-up window.
Your initial enrollment period
August 2026 to February 2027
You are inside it today.
| Medicare can start | November 1, 2026 |
| Sign up by, so coverage starts that day | October 31, 2026 |
| Medigap open enrollment (if Part B starts then) | to April 30, 2027 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the data is read · independent site, not affiliated with Medicare or any insurer
You can get Medicare in three ways. At 65, if you are a U.S. citizen, or a permanent resident who has lived in the United States continuously for the five years before applying (42 CFR 407.10). Before 65, after you have been entitled to Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits for 24 months: Medicare Part A starts in the 25th month (42 CFR 406.12). At any age, with end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant, if you or a spouse or parent worked long enough under Social Security (42 CFR 406.13). Part A is free when you or your spouse have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered work; with 30 to 39 quarters it costs $311 a month in 2026, and with fewer, $565. Part B is open to everyone eligible for Part A and costs the standard premium. Medicare counts you as 65 the day before your birthday.
At 65
Two conditions: age and status. Age is reached, for Medicare, on the day before your 65th birthday (42 CFR 407.10), so coverage can start on the first day of the month you turn 65, or of the previous month if your birthday falls on the 1st. Status means U.S. citizenship, or lawful permanent residence with five years of continuous residence in the United States before you apply. If you already receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement retirement benefits, you are entitled to Part A automatically (42 CFR 406.10) and enrolled in Part B unless you refuse it.
For someone born on November 20, 1961, Medicare can start November 1, 2026; the sign-up window runs from August 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
When your sign-up window opens
Initial enrollment period
March 2027 to September 2027
| Coverage can start | June 2027 |
| Medigap open enrollment ends | November 2027 |
Born on the 1st: everything moves one month earlier.
Free or paid Part A
Part A is premium-free for people who, alone or through a current, former or deceased spouse, have 40 quarters of work in jobs that paid Medicare tax, about ten years. Others can buy it: $311 a month in 2026 with 30 to 39 quarters, $565 with fewer. Someone who buys Part A must also take Part B. Working a few more years to reach 40 quarters, or qualifying through a spouse's record, can save thousands of dollars a year: Social Security can tell you how many quarters you have.
Before 65: disability
People under 65 who receive Social Security disability benefits, or a disabled widow's, widower's or adult child's benefit, become entitled to Part A after 24 months of benefits, in the 25th month (42 CFR 406.12). Earlier periods of disability benefits can count toward the 24 months under conditions the rule spells out. Enrollment is automatic, with a Medicare card sent ahead of the start date. Railroad workers qualify the same way through the Railroad Retirement Board.
Kidney failure
End-stage renal disease, meaning permanent kidney failure that needs regular dialysis or a transplant, opens Medicare at any age if you, your spouse or a parent you depend on have enough work under Social Security or the railroad system, or if you receive their benefits (42 CFR 406.13). Entitlement starts after a waiting period that depends on the treatment: the rule gives earlier starts for home dialysis training and for a kidney transplant.
Common situations
- Still working at 65 with a job plan: you are eligible and can take free Part A at once; Part B can wait without penalty while the coverage comes from current work.
- Married to someone older or younger: each spouse qualifies at his or her own 65th birthday, even when the free Part A comes from the other's work record.
- Divorced after ten years of marriage, or widowed: an ex-spouse's or late spouse's record can give you free Part A.
- Receiving disability benefits when you turn 65: Medicare continues, now based on age, and a new enrollment window opens.
What eligibility does not decide
Being eligible does not enroll you everywhere. Part B, Part D, an Advantage plan and Medigap each have their own windows and, for B and D, penalties when you sign up late without a valid reason; see the enrollment dates and the penalty calculator. People who keep working past 65 with group health coverage from that job, or a spouse's, can usually delay Part B without penalty. And Medicare eligibility does not depend on income: higher incomes pay more for Parts B and D through IRMAA, but nobody is excluded.
Moving to the United States late in life
A permanent resident who arrives at 60 can buy Medicare from 65 only after five years of continuous residence, so from 65 at the earliest if the five years are complete, and will usually pay for Part A without 40 quarters of U.S. work. Quarters earned in some countries with a Social Security agreement with the United States may count toward Social Security benefits, but not toward premium-free Part A in every case: ask Social Security before planning on them.