When You Are Eligible for Social Security and Medicare

You can receive Medicare without taking your Social Security benefits

By

Updated on October 23, 2022

Fact checked by David Rubin

Older couple working in living room, with laptop on coffee table — Photo:
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Medicare and Social Security aid older Americans and their spouses who paid into the programs through FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes during their working years.

Medicare provides both free and cost-effective health insurance coverage for eligible older adults who are 65 years of age or older. Social Security retirement benefits act as a small pension, providing monthly income to those eligible as early as age 62.

Even if you are eligible to start receiving benefits, you do not have to start taking them. In some cases, it may be better to delay or to start taking benefits from one program but not the other.

Key Takeaways

Americans become eligible for Medicare and Social Security at different times.
While you can start receiving Social Security payments as early as age 62, the longer you wait, the more you will receive on a monthly basis.
Even if you decide to wait until age 67 or older to begin receiving Social Security, you can opt to get Medicare at age 65 or even younger under certain conditions. In most cases, this is a favorable way to plan out your retirement.

When You're Eligible for Medicare

Older people who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents can qualify for traditional Medicare coverage as early as age 65.

You might also be eligible for Medicare if you are under age 65 and meet one of the following conditions:

You are on dialysis or you've had a kidney transplant because of end-stage renal disease
You have been entitled to Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months
You have Lou Gehrig's disease.

You are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A if you qualify for Medicare and you've received Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits for at least four months before you turn 65. You can then choose to enroll in other parts of the program or to delay enrollment.

If you are over 65 and do not meet any of the above criteria, you still may be eligible to purchase coverage through Medicare Part A. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, you can check using the Medicare Eligibility & Premium Calculator.

Note

The work credit requirement is an algorithm used to determine how long a worker paid into the system.

When You're Eligible for Social Security

Today, older adults become eligible for full Social Security retirement benefits at age 66 or 67 depending on their birth year and whether they or their spouse have met the work credit requirement.

For anyone born in 1929 or later, the minimum work credit requirement for Social Security benefits is 40 credits or 10 years of work. The year you can start taking full Social Security benefits is known as your full retirement age or normal retirement age. If you were born on Jan. 1 of any year, refer to the previous year when calculating your full retirement age.

Age for Receiving Full Social Security Benefits
Birth Year	Full Retirement Age
1943-1954	66
1955	66 and 2 months
1956	66 and 4 months
1957	66 and 6 months
1958	66 and 8 months
1959	66 and 10 months
1960 and later	67

Unlike Medicare, older people can opt to start taking their benefits before their full retirement age. The earliest you can begin taking Social Security benefits is age 62. However, if you begin taking Social Security payments before your full retirement age, you will receive a reduced monthly benefit for the remainder of your life.

Note

If you are a widow or widower, you can start claiming your spouse's reduced Social Security benefits when you are age 60, or 50 if you are disabled. You can then switch to taking your own full benefit at your full retirement age.

You can also choose to delay your Social Security benefit past full retirement age until age 70. This will often make you eligible for delayed retirement credits, which increase your monthly benefit for the remainder of your life.

If you are eligible for Social Security, your family members may also be eligible to receive some benefit if they are a:

Spouse or former spouse age 62 or older
Spouse younger than 62 if taking care of a child who is younger than age 16 or with disabilities
Child up to age 18, or up to 19 if they're a full-time student and haven't graduated from high school
A child of any age who became disabled before age 22

Family members can only receive these payments if you are eligible and have already filed for retirement benefits.

Deciding when and how to file for Social Security benefits (whether they are your own or your spousal benefit) should be a strategic piece of a prepared older person's retirement planning.

Note

The value of Social Security benefits you are eligible for can change due to factors such as divorce, having a child, or the death of a spouse. If your life circumstances are different than when you started taking Social Security benefits, notify the Social Security Administration to ensure you are receiving the correct benefit.

Taking Medicare But Not Social Security

It is possible to enroll in Medicare coverage but delay taking your Social Security retirement benefits. For many workers, this strategy might be financially advantageous.

For most older people, it is a good idea to enroll in all parts of Medicare coverage they plan to use as soon as they are eligible at age 65. If you delay enrolling, Medicare Part D may become more expensive. If you delay signing up for Part B, you may also experience a gap in your coverage or have to pay a late enrollment penalty.

However, if you can afford to, it is often a smart financial decision to delay receiving Social Security benefits until at least your full retirement age in order to increase the benefit you receive. This may mean that there are several years during which you are enrolled and covered by Medicare but not yet receiving your monthly Social Security benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?

Medicare is typically an age-based program that all Americans eventually qualify to use. Those with permanent disabilities and dialysis patients may also qualify for Medicare regardless of age. Medicaid is income-based, and individuals of any age may qualify if they fall below certain income levels.

How much Social Security will I get?

Annual Social Security payments in 2023 total $10,970.44 for individuals ($914 monthly), $16,453.84 for couples ($1,371), and $5,497.80 for essential persons ($458). This amount may be reduced if the Social Security recipient also has other sources of income. This amount may increase in states that supplement federal benefits.

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Sources

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Social Security Administration. "Medicare Benefits."
Social Security Administration. "Starting Your Retirement Benefits Early."
HHS.gov. "Who Is Eligible for Medicare?"
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "Enrolling in Medicare Part A & Part B," Pages 5, 13.
Social Security Administration. "Retirement Benefits," Pages 1-4.
Social Security Administration. "Starting Your Retirement Benefits Early."
Social Security Administration. "If You Are the Survivor."
Social Security Administration. "Retirement Benefits," Pages 5-9.
Medicare.gov. "Part D Late Enrollment Penalty."
Medicare.gov. "When Does Medicare Coverage Start?"
Department of Health & Human Services. "What Is the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid?"
Social Security Administration. "SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2023."