Medicare at 62?

Q. If I retire at age 62, will I be eligible for Medicare at that time?

A. No. Medicare benefits based on retirement do not begin until a person is age 65. So before you retire at 62, find out whether you will lose any employer-provided health insurance that you may have.

See also: Taking an early Social Security benefit.

If you will lose it, you may be able to arrange for continued coverage through your employer or through your spouse's employer. Or you may be able to purchase it directly from an insurance company. But you will have to have coverage until you turn age 65 and become eligible for Medicare.

Stan Hinden, a former columnist for the Washington Post, wrote How to Retire Happy: The 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire. Check out the archive. If you don't find your answer there, send a query. Have a question for the Social Security Mailbox?