How do I Calculate Retirement Age to Draw Medicare?

Medicare provides health insurance benefits to nearly 40 million Americans, according to its official government website. The program is for people aged 65 or older or for those under age 65 with a disability. People with end-stage renal disease or permanent kidney failure treated by dialysis or transplant also qualify for this government-sponsored health insurance program.

Retirement Age

• The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare state that those who have reached the age of 65 are eligible for these health insurance benefits. To calculate when a person reaches this age, take the year of your birth and add 65 to it. In the year 2010, those born in 1945 qualify for Medicare.

Qualifying

• The initial enrollment period starts three months before a person turns 65 and lasts for seven months. The general enrollment period, which occurs from January 1 to March 31 of every year, allows applicants to sign up for Part B if they did not do so during their initial enrollment period. Those deemed eligible begin receiving benefits in July of that year, according to the government's website.

Medicare Parts A and B

• There are two parts to sign up for, Part A and Part B. Part A covers hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, home health care and hospice care. Part B covers doctors, specialists, outpatient and other medical services. Part B coverage requires monthly payments and is an optional program.