Q: Does someone going on Social Security have to take Medicare if they are already covered under their spouse?
A:
Generally, the Federal government does not require you to apply for Medicare, but if you apply for Medicare after the date you were first eligible for Medicare, then the Medicare monthly premiums may be higher than the normal Medicare premium rate. In other words, Medicare premiums can be higher if you wait too long to apply for Medicare.
Part of your question though is not clear but I assume that when you state "already covered under their spouse," you meant that the person receiving Social Security is covered under the spouse's private health insurance. If this is case, the person receiving Social Security should check with the spouse's private health insurance because the insurance company may require the person receiving Social Security to apply for Medicare to continue to receive coverage under the spouse's health insurance. Each health insurance policy is different and it may also matter if it is health insurance through the spouse's employer, so you need to check with the spouse's health insurance company directly to see what rules apply.
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