Can I get Medicare without 40 work credits?

Forty quarters of covered work earn premium-free Part A. With fewer than forty, you can still enrol — you simply pay a monthly premium for Part A, at one of two rates depending on whether you have thirty or more quarters. Part B has always carried a premium for everyone, so nothing changes there.

You may also qualify through a spouse. A current spouse's record, and in many cases a former or deceased spouse's record, can provide premium-free Part A even when your own does not. That is worth checking before anyone pays for a buy-in.

An estimate for planning, not a quote. Medicare and the Marketplace set your real figures.