• If qualify for Medicare, you can receive Medicare benefits even if you are still working.man in park image by Janet Wall from Fotolia.com
  
  Medicare is the name for a type of health insurance the government provides older and certain disabled Americans at little or no out-of-pocket cost. In most cases, Medicare eligibility begins at age 65, the same age at which most American retire. For this reason, many people are confused about whether or not they must be retired to be eligible for Medicare.
  
  

General Eligibility

• If you or your spouse is a U.S. citizen over the age of 65 who has worked for at least 10 years in "Medicare-covered employment," you meet the general eligibility requirements for Medicare. The next basic requirement for Medicare Part A is that you either receive or are eligible to receive retirement benefits, either from the Social Security Administration or the Railroad Retirement Board. Additionally, you may be eligible if you or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment.
  
  If you are eligible to receive Part A, which covers hospitalization, you may also elect to receive medical insurance benefits from Part B, although a monthly premium will apply. In 2010, the monthly premium was $110.50.
  
  

Working vs. Retired

• Although receiving or being eligible to receive retirement benefits qualifies you for Medicare, it is not necessary that you be retired in order to be eligible for Medicare benefits. According to the Official Medicare Q&A website, your eligibility will not be affected by the amount of income you earn after retirement, although your Part B premiums will increase if you earn $85,000 a year or more if you're single, or $170,000 or more for married couples.
  
  Conversely, being retired, in and of itself, does not qualify you for Medicare. If you do retire before age 65 and your former employer does not continue to insure you, Medicare advises that you purchase your own insurance policy from a private insurance company until you are 65 years of age.
  
  

Other Conditions

• In certain instances, individuals under the age of 65 may also be eligible for Medicare. Specifically, you can receive Part A if you have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for a period of at least 24 months. Additionally, you may be eligible for Medicare at any age if you suffer from permanent kidney failure that requires you to undergo dialysis or need a transplant.