Medicare is intended to be a safety net for older Americans' medical needs. As people get older, they are more likely to have an expensive medical cost or procedure. Since insurance is priced based on risk, older people always paid much more for their insurance. At some point they get priced out of the market. For this reason Medicare is the insurance plan created for Americans once they reach the age of 65. In fact, no American can get another plan other than Medicare once they turn 65 because there are no private plans available domestically. Some people can get Medicare before turning 65. If you are on social security disability then you can qualify for Medicare benefits even before reaching the appropriate age.The process to get onto social security disability benefits can take a long time to complete.