- On paper, it appears to save money for the federal government. In practice, raising the Medicare eligibility age simply shifts the cost of health care to newly uninsured 65- and 66-year-olds, forcing them to pay more for their care out of their own pockets. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2012/12/11/nancy-pelosi-on-medicare-and-fiscal-cliff/1761101/ 9 comments politics