Medicare is a health insurance plan for people who are over 65 and people who are disabled. The program helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. If you contemplating retiring and receiving Social Security Retirement benefits, you should think about Medicare coverage.
If you choose to receive your Social Security benefits at or after age 62, you will not be eligible for Medicare until you are 65. Once you reach age 65, whether or not you receive Social Security retirement benefits (because your full retirement age is 66 or 67, or because you choose to continue to work and delay your retirement to a later age) you can still receive Medicare coverage. Several months before your 65th birthday you should sign up for Medicare. You can do this by contacting your local Social Security office or on-line.