I provided you the quote above that, i.e.,
"Generally, you are eligible for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment and you are 65 years or older and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States."
This clearly indicates that not everyone over 65 is automatically covered by Medicare. There are conditions. And in 1965, there were plenty of people not in Medicare covered employment.
“This clearly indicates that not everyone over 65 is automatically covered by Medicare. There are conditions. And in 1965, there were plenty of people not in Medicare covered employment.”
I think you’ve missed the point. I never claimed everyone over 65 is “automatically covered.” Just because someone is ELIGIBLE doesn’t mean they’ll be covered. For example, every Medicare Part A beneficiary is eligible to get Part B, but only 90-95% actually do so, because to get this benefit, you have to be willing to pay premiums.
What I was reiterating (from the site I pointed to) is that “anyone 65 or older is eligible to receive Medicare” meaning that even if they don’t qualify for SS, they still can qualify for Medicare IF they are willing to pay premiums for Part A (and Part B if they want it). In contrast, those with a wage history long enough to qualify for SS AUTOMATICALLY qualify for Medicare Part A without having to pay any premiums.
So yes, there are people over age 65 without Medicare, but it’s because they CHOOSE not to pay the premiums required, not because they are ineligible to receive benefits. In contrast, I would guess only a handful of people who automatically qualify for free Medicare benefits would turn them down. I hope this makes things clearer. If not, I’ll leave it to someone else to explain, since I’ve explained it as clearly as I can.