If you are not a U.S. citizen you might be able to get Medicare. It depends on the circumstances.

• You will qualify for Medicare even if you are not a US citizen if you qualify to receive or receive Social Security, Railroad retirement or disability benefits.  In this case, you will qualify for Part A without needing to pay a premium.  You will need to pay a premium for Part B.
• If you do not qualify for Social Security, railroad retirement benefits or disability benefits, you can qualify to buy Part A (and Part B) if you are a current US resident and either 
  • A US citizen or
  • A permanent US resident having lived in the US for 5 continuous years before you apply for Medicare
To find your local Social Security office, call the National Social Security Hotline at 1-800-772-1213 or click on the link in the LINKS box.

To find your local Railroad Retirement Board field office, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 312-751-7139 or click on the link in the LINKS box.

To learn how Medicare from the Railroad Retirement Board differs from Medicare from Social Security, click on the link in the GO TO box.