Are You Eligible for Medicare? A Colorado Guide
Who qualifies for Medicare, when Part A is premium-free, how disability and kidney failure change the timing, and what Colorado residents should have ready before they enroll.
You are generally eligible for Medicare at 65 if you are a U.S. citizen, or a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States for at least five years in a row. Part A comes without a premium if you or your spouse worked about 10 years (40 quarters) in jobs that paid Medicare taxes. You can also qualify before 65 if you have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months, or if you have End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS. Living in Colorado does not change federal eligibility, but it does shape the coverage you can add, so this guide covers both.
The three ways to qualify
Eligibility is federal. Your Medicare card, your Part A and Part B, and your enrollment rights are the same in Brighton as anywhere else. What changes by state is the private coverage you can add on top: Colorado Medigap rules, and which Medicare Advantage and Part D plans serve your county.
- Age: you are 65 or older and a U.S. citizen, or a lawful permanent resident who has lived here for at least five continuous years.
- Disability: you are under 65 and have received Social Security Disability Insurance or certain Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months. Medicare usually starts automatically in month 25.
- Specific conditions: End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure that needs dialysis or a transplant), or ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). With ALS, Medicare starts the month your disability benefits begin.
When Part A is premium-free
You can get Part A at 65 without a premium if any of these apply:
- You already receive retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
- You are eligible for those benefits but have not filed for them yet.
- You or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment.
Part B has a premium for almost everyone
The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month, and the annual deductible is $283 (CMS, 2026). Higher earners pay more through IRMAA, which in 2026 starts above $109,000 of modified adjusted gross income for a single filer or $218,000 for a married couple filing jointly, based on the 2024 tax return.
If you receive Social Security, Railroad Retirement or Civil Service retirement benefits, the Part B premium comes out of your check. If you do not, Medicare bills you, usually every three months.
You can delay Part B in some situations, most often when you or your spouse are still working and covered by an employer group plan. Delaying without that kind of coverage can lead to a lifetime penalty of 10 percent for each full 12 months you could have had Part B and did not.
Automatic enrollment or signing up yourself
| Your situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Already getting Social Security or RRB benefits before 65 | Enrolled in Parts A and B automatically; your card arrives about three months before your 65th birthday month |
| Under 65 with 24 months of disability benefits | Enrolled automatically, usually starting in month 25 |
| Turning 65 and not yet collecting Social Security | You sign up through Social Security, online at ssa.gov, by phone or in person |
| End-Stage Renal Disease | You apply; timing depends on your dialysis or transplant dates |
| Working past 65 with employer coverage | You decide when to take Part B; see our working past 65 guide |
Under 65 on Medicare in Colorado
If you qualify for Medicare through disability, Colorado gives you more options than many states. The Colorado Division of Insurance Medigap guide says companies that sell Medicare Supplements in Colorado must also sell to beneficiaries under 65 who are disabled. Premiums can be higher than at 65, and when you do turn 65 you get a fresh guaranteed issue window, which is a good time to compare again.
Medicare Advantage plans and Special Needs Plans are also open to you. If you have both Medicare and Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid), a dual-eligible Special Needs Plan may fit: Adams County has 19 of them for 2027, according to the CY2027 CMS Landscape file.
What to have ready before you enroll
- Your Social Security number, and your Medicare card if it has already arrived.
- Details of any employer, retiree, COBRA, VA or TRICARE coverage you have now, and the date it ends.
- If you delayed Part B because you were working: form CMS-40B (Application for Enrollment in Part B) and form CMS-L564 (Request for Employment Information) completed by your employer.
- A list of your doctors and your prescriptions with doses, so you can compare plans the day you are eligible.
Moving to Colorado with Medicare
If you move to Brighton, Thornton or anywhere in Colorado already on Medicare, your Part A and Part B come with you; you only update your address with Social Security. Your private coverage may not. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are tied to service areas, so a move opens a Special Enrollment Period to choose a plan that serves your new county. Start looking before you move if you can, because the window is time-limited.
Most standardized Medigap policies keep working anywhere in the country, though the company may adjust the premium to Colorado rates. If you have a Medicare SELECT policy with a network, moving out of its service area gives you a guaranteed issue right to buy a different policy.
The bottom line
If you are 65, a citizen or long-term permanent resident, and you or your spouse worked about 10 years, you almost certainly qualify for premium-free Part A and can buy Part B. The real questions are timing and what you add on top. Check whether you will be enrolled automatically, decide whether you need Part B now, then compare the rest. Call us in Brighton if you want help confirming where you stand.
Want to go through this with someone?
Lisa Asmussen at our Brighton office will go through your doctors, your prescriptions and your real numbers, and explain plainly what we found. Take the Stress Out of Medicare
Prefer to learn in a group? See our Medicare education sessions, in person in Brighton or online, and official Medicare forms and publications on our Resources page.
Sources
- 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- 2025-2026 Colorado Medigap Policies (Medicare Supplement guide), Colorado Division of Insurance
- CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape, contract year 2027 (Adams and Weld counties, Colorado), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- When can I sign up for Medicare?, Medicare.gov (CMS)
Please note: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 106 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Headwaters Health and Wealth is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information.