If you are eligible for Medicare due to a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), you are eligible for premium-free Part A.

If you return to work, you can keep your Medicare coverage indefinitely as long as you remain medically disabled. For the first 8.5 years of being back at work, you will not have to pay the Part A premium. After that, you will have to pay the Part A premium yourself. If at that point your income is too low to afford the Part A premium, you may be eligible for the Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) program. QDWI pays the Part A premium if you meet its eligibility requirements.