Social Security/Medicare Elgibility

If you are a stay-at-home parent, do you know how your Social Security and Medicare benefits are affected by a divorce?  You should be, especially if you are being asked to give up your interest in your spouse's Social Security and retirement benefits.  Did you know that unless you have earned 40 Social Security quarters the free Medicare A in not available to you?  Or that if you are between 0 and 39 quarters you will need to have other arrangements made?  Before you sign off on your spouse's benefits, check out your status at www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility and discuss the same with your attorney.