I am 60 and my wife is 65 and she does not have enough credits to qualify for her own social security.

Can my wife get medicare now, even though if I'm not yet at retirement age?

Can she get social security benefits once I reach retirement age?

Thank you!

Hi,

Your wife is eligible to sign up for Parts B & D of Medicare at age 65 regardless of your age. She could also sign up for Medicare Part A on a premium basis, but wouldn't be eligible for premium free Part A based on your work credits until you turn age 62. Unless she's got coverage through an employer group health plan, she may want to sign up for Parts B & D of Medicare now to avoid having to pay higher monthly premiums later. For more information on Medicare, refer to the ssa.gov website: https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/.

In order for your wife to receive Social Security spousal benefits, you must be receiving either disability or retirement benefits on your record. And, the earliest that you could begin receiving retirement benefits is at age 62. You may want to consider running the maximization software available on this website in order to determine your best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry