Mon 31 Oct, 2016 11:32 pm
I'm a US citizen. My wife is not. Years ago she had a US green card, but she returned it after we moved overseas years ago. We now live year round in Asia.
Both my wife and I have paid into the US Social Security system long enough to qualify for Social Security in the future. My wife could receive full Social Security starting at age 66. I could at age 66 and a half. And we’ve also both qualified for Medicare someday. My questions concern Medicare.
My wife is rapidly approaching retirement age, and her most recent statement from the Social Security Administration had a reminder to "be sure to sign up for Medicare three months before turning age 65... (or) you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty."
As I mentioned, she’s not a US citizen and she’s also no longer a green card holder. And it’s likely we may never return to the US to reside. So MUST she apply for Medicare and start paying for Medicare B at age 65? (Or, as a non-US-citizen and a non-resident living outside the US, could she even apply for Medicare at age 65 if she wanted to?)
And what if later on (perhaps at age 70) she and I were to decide to move back to the US, and she got another green card. Could she then apply for Medicare? Would she be hit with the late penalty?
You would be best off by contacting Medicare directly.
@Sturgis,
Actually, I did write to them. They haven't replied.
My wife and I are not the first couple with a complex situation and, while waiting to hear back from the Medicare folks, we'd also appreciate knowing what others with a similar background might have encountered.