​What documentation is required to apply for Medicare in the United States? 

08/02/2025
–
07:57
CSTWe all know just how complicated it can be to apply for any sort of government scheme, with questions to answer that almost nobody knows the answer to. The same can be said for Medicare in the United States, with healthcare and insurance being an incredibly complex topic in a country where free universal healthcare is not available to all citizens.The primary point of Medicare’s requirements when applying is to be sure that the applicant is eligible. You must submit documents that verify your age, citizenship, military service if applicable and your work history. There is a chance that Medicare and Social Security already have some of this information for you on file, but you’ll need to provide original copies of the supporting documents if you have them. Remember, you can apply for new copies of any documents that you no longer have.You can enroll online, over the phone, or in person at a Social Security office. No matter how you apply, you’ll need to provide certain information.Generally, this includes:your Social Security numberyour date and place of birthyour citizenship statusthe name and Social Security number of your current spouse and any former spousesthe date and place of any marriages or divorces you’ve hadthe names and ages of any children you have who are under age 18 (children up to age 19 who are still in high school also need to be mentioned)the names and ages of any children you have who had a disability before age 22whether you’ve ever applied for Social Security benefits in the past, or whether anyone has ever applied on your behalfthe name and address of any employer you’ve had in the past 2 yearsthe amount of money you’ve earned in the past 2 years (if you’re applying between September and December, you’ll also need to estimate next year’s earnings)the dates of any military service you had before 1968information about any work you or a spouse has done for the railroad industryinformation about any Social Security work credits you’ve earned in another countryinformation on any federal pension you receive now or will receive in the future