If you’re a green card holder, you may be wondering if you’re eligible for Medicare. United States permanent residents may qualify for Medicare if they’ve lived here at least five continuous years.

Below is some useful information for those wanting to learn about medicare eligibility for permanent residents. You may be a green card holder for several reasons, such as:

• You’re working in the United States.
• You’re the immediate relative of a United States citizen.
• You are a refugee or were granted asylum.

This may not be a complete list of situations that qualify you for permanent residency. For more information, contact the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office. You can visit them online, or call 1-800-375-5283 (TTY users call 1-800-767-1833). Once you meet the residency requirements for Medicare, eligibility works the same way whether you’re a citizen or resident. If you’re like most people in the country, you’ll be first eligible for Medicare when you turn 65 years of age. You can also qualify before turning 65 if you receive disability benefits for two years or if you have certain conditions, including end-stage renal disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Take a look at this article if you’d like more information on Medicare eligibility.