I am a 35 year old US citizen with a good job, company provided health care, benefits, etc... My wife is a 50 year old Japanese citizen registered as a legal permanent resident alien. We have been living in the U.S. for nearly 15 years. She prefers not to be granted U.S. citizenship, mostly because if something ever happened to me, she would much rather be living back at home in Japan rather than here in the U.S. In order for her to be a citizen of the U.S., she would have to relinquish her Japanese Citizenship.
She has held a part time job waiting tables for about 5 years. The income is small, but honest, and is really a better mental break for her to "get out of the house," than it is as an income provider. We have recently found out the business she works at may be closing. This would not be a big deal financially, except:
I was told by someone NOT in the legal profession that she needs to work in the U.S. for ten years in order to be eligible for Medicare when she turns 65. My company generally cuts dependents off the company health care plan when they become Medicare eligible.
What I do not want to have happen is for her to turn 65, get cut off my company health insurance plan, and then find out she is ineligible for Medicare. I will be working for a considerable amount of time after she is Medicare eligible (age-wise), and would be comfortable knowing that when she turns 65, she can turn to Medicare.
Should she lose her job as a result of her place of business closing, does she need to work for a few more years in order to become eligible for Medicare when she turns 65? Is Medicare granted for all aliens and citizens over 65, or just those who've worked for 10+ years?