Posted by MedEd at MHI
A: Most people have worked long enough to qualify for premium-free Part A hospital insurance. If you or your spouse have paid FICA taxes for at least 40 quarters (ten years), you will not be required to pay a monthly premium for Part A once you start your Medicare benefits.
You can still receive Part A if you have less than ten years of work history. You’ll have to pay for it and unfortunately, it is not inexpensive. If you have at least 30 quarters of work history, you’ll pay $232 each month for Part A. If you have less than 30 quarters of work history, it’s $422/month.
Don’t forget about the Part B premium – that’s $134/month this year (2018).
Whether or not you have to pay the Part A monthly premium, you must be a US citizen or a legal resident (green card holder) who has lived in the United States for five consecutive years in order to qualify for Medicare.