Medicare is a federal government health insurance program that gives you health care coverage if you are 65 or older, are under 65 and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 months due to a severe disability, begin receiving SSDI due to ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), no matter your income. You can receive health coverage directly through the federal government (see: Original Medicare) or administered through a private company (see: Medicare Advantage Plan).