Medicare is our country's health insurance program for people age 65 or older. You may also qualify if you have permanent kidney failure or receive Disability benefits. It started in 1965 under the Social Security Administration and is now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare is divided into four parts: A, B, C, and D. Part A covers hospital, skilled nursing, and hospice services. Part B covers outpatient services. Learn how Medicare works for people 65 and older or with a disability. See if you are eligible, how to enroll, and locate a Medicare-certified provider. The official U.S. government website for Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older and younger people with disabilities. Once you have Medicare, you can use any of these free and secure identity verification services to log in to or create your Medicare account. Learn about the new options. Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. You’ll sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B through Social Security, so you can make both retirement and Medicare choices and withhold any premiums from your benefit payments. Understanding Medicare costs is one of the most important parts of planning for healthcare in retirement. Each year, Medicare updates its premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing amounts. For 2026, several key figures have changed across Medicare Part A, Part B, and Part D.