Medicare plans are available to those people who are 65 years of age or older.
If you are under 65 and receive social security disability or have End Stage Renal Failure, you also qualify for Medicare.
The program is divided into four pieces.
These these pieces are referred to as Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D.
Medicare Part A is hospital insurance.
Everyone who is eligible receives this portion.
Medicare hospital insurance covers inpatient care.
Inpatient care includes hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and care, hospice facilities.
Some home health care is also included.
Part A does not cover long term or custodial care.
Most people do not have to pay a premium for this portion of Medicare.
Medicare Part B is medical insurance.
The purpose of this portion is to cover medically necessary services.
These include: doctors' services, diagnostic tests, outpatient care, physical therapy and some preventive screenings.
These are services that Part A does not cover, even if you are in the hospital.
Medicare Part B is optional and you have to pay a premium.
Medicare Part C is otherwise known as Medicare Advantage.
With C, you get at least the same coverage as you get with parts A and B combined.
The difference is a private insurer has contracted with the government to take over administration of your benefits.
Your benefits are provided by the insurer, and you pay your premiums directly to this insurer.
You can choose Part C in lieu of A and B, but you still pay the Part B premium.
Medicare Advantage is similar to Medicare supplemental insurance in that it covers the gaps left by Medicare.
You chose one or the other.
The difference is that Advantage program pays instead of Medicare, and supplemental insurance pays after Medicare pays.
Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage.
It is only offered through private companies which are approved and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
It is optional and requires you to pay a premium directly to the private insurance company.
Medicare helps defer the costs of health care for seniors and those with certain disabilities.
The plan initially consisted of simply hospital insurance.
It later evolved to pay for medical services and prescription drugs.
This evolution had created four parts to the plan.
Part A, B and D are all about different facets of coverage.
Medicare advantage plans (Part C) is really a replacement policy for A, B and D where you pay a private insurer.
If you are under 65 and receive social security disability or have End Stage Renal Failure, you also qualify for Medicare.
The program is divided into four pieces.
These these pieces are referred to as Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D.
Medicare Part A is hospital insurance.
Everyone who is eligible receives this portion.
Medicare hospital insurance covers inpatient care.
Inpatient care includes hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and care, hospice facilities.
Some home health care is also included.
Part A does not cover long term or custodial care.
Most people do not have to pay a premium for this portion of Medicare.
Medicare Part B is medical insurance.
The purpose of this portion is to cover medically necessary services.
These include: doctors' services, diagnostic tests, outpatient care, physical therapy and some preventive screenings.
These are services that Part A does not cover, even if you are in the hospital.
Medicare Part B is optional and you have to pay a premium.
Medicare Part C is otherwise known as Medicare Advantage.
With C, you get at least the same coverage as you get with parts A and B combined.
The difference is a private insurer has contracted with the government to take over administration of your benefits.
Your benefits are provided by the insurer, and you pay your premiums directly to this insurer.
You can choose Part C in lieu of A and B, but you still pay the Part B premium.
Medicare Advantage is similar to Medicare supplemental insurance in that it covers the gaps left by Medicare.
You chose one or the other.
The difference is that Advantage program pays instead of Medicare, and supplemental insurance pays after Medicare pays.
Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage.
It is only offered through private companies which are approved and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
It is optional and requires you to pay a premium directly to the private insurance company.
Medicare helps defer the costs of health care for seniors and those with certain disabilities.
The plan initially consisted of simply hospital insurance.
It later evolved to pay for medical services and prescription drugs.
This evolution had created four parts to the plan.
Part A, B and D are all about different facets of coverage.
Medicare advantage plans (Part C) is really a replacement policy for A, B and D where you pay a private insurer.