My wife is a resident alien whose green card as expired. We have been married since Sept. 29, 1969. We have lived together since then in the United States. I am 70 years old in January and she is 68 years old now. Does she qualify for Social Security even if she has never been employed outside the home since we were married?

Does she qualify for Medicare? We have been covered by a qualified medical insurance through Kaiser supplied by my employer for the last 25 years.

Hi,

Yes, when you start drawing your Social Security benefits, it sounds like your wife should be eligible for spousal benefits on your record. And, it sounds like she meets the requirements for Medicare benefits as well. US Citizenship is not required, as long as the person has been lawfully admitted to the US for permanent residency for at least 5 years.

Best, Jerry