General Enrollment Information

My husband and I are retired. He just turned 65 and is now covered by Medicare, but I am 62 and I don’t have health insurance. As the spouse of a Medicare beneficiary, can I enroll in Medicare during the Medicare Open Enrollment period?

No. Although your husband now qualifies for Medicare, you will not qualify for Medicare until you turn age 65. If you do not have health insurance now, you can consider signing up for health insurance coverage through a Marketplace plan. If your household income is at least 100% of the federal poverty level (for buying Marketplace coverage in 2023, that means an income of $19,720 for a couple), you may qualify for premium tax credits to reduce your cost of a Marketplace policy. If your household income is at or below 138% of poverty (about $27,214 for a couple), you might be eligible for Medicaid if you live in a state that has expanded its Medicaid program.

While we have made every effort to provide accurate information in these FAQs, people should contact the health insurance Marketplace or Medicaid agency in their state for guidance on their specific circumstances.

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The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.