Residency

• Medicare applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal aliens who have lived in the United States for at least five consecutive years.
  
  

Younger than 65

• Applicants younger than age 65 must be disabled or are being treated for end-stage renal disease, either with dialysis or surgery. If disabled, the applicant must be receiving Social Security payments or Railroad Retirement Benefits for two years before being eligible for Medicare. The individual can file for Medicaid in the meantime.
  
  

Tenure

• An applicant or spouse must have worked for a minimum of 10 years in a Medicare-covered job.
  
  

Retirement

• An individual does not have to be retired to apply for Medicare if 65 and older. If the person is not able under federal law to retire until age 67--but the applicant, his spouse or former spouse has paid into Social Security for more than 10 years--the applicant is eligible for Medicare.
  
  

Plan A

• If 65 or older and already receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement Benefits, or eligible to receive either but have not yet filed, a person is automatically approved for Medicare. The same is true if an applicant's spouse worked for the government under Medicare-covered employment.
  
  

Plan B

• Medicare Plan B is open to any U.S. citizen or legal alien 65 or older with the payment of monthly premiums.