The Medicare Program
Medicare is a health insurance program for:
The Original Medicare Has Two Parts
Part A: Hospital Insurance
Part A helps cover your inpatient care in hospitals, including critical access hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care). It also helps cover hospice care and some home health care. Most people pay for Part A through their payroll taxes when they are working.
Part B: Medical Insurance
Part B helps cover your doctors' services and outpatient hospital care. Most people pay monthly for Part B.
Medicare is a health insurance program for:
- People age 65 or older.
- People under age 65 with certain disabilities.
- People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant).
The Original Medicare Has Two Parts
Part A: Hospital Insurance
Part A helps cover your inpatient care in hospitals, including critical access hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care). It also helps cover hospice care and some home health care. Most people pay for Part A through their payroll taxes when they are working.
Part B: Medical Insurance
Part B helps cover your doctors' services and outpatient hospital care. Most people pay monthly for Part B.
You can elect to participate in a Medicare Advantage Plan Part C and Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Part D
Part C: Medicare Advantage Plans
You can choose different ways to get the services covered by Medicare. Depending on where you live, you may have different choices. In most cases, when you first get Medicare, you are in the Original Medicare Plan. Or, you may want to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that provides all your Part A, Part B, and often Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug) coverage. You make a choice when you are first eligible for Medicare. Each year you can review your health and prescription needs and switch to a different plan in the fall.
Medicare Advantage Plans are health plan options that are approved by Medicare but run by private companies. They are part of the Medicare Program, and sometimes called "Part C." When you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you are still in Medicare. As long as you have both Part A and Part B, items covered by Part A and Part B are covered whether you have the Original Medicare Plan, or you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO).
Part D: Prescription Drug Coverage
Medicare Prescription Drug Plans are offered by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare.
You can choose different ways to get the services covered by Medicare. Depending on where you live, you may have different choices. In most cases, when you first get Medicare, you are in the Original Medicare Plan. Or, you may want to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that provides all your Part A, Part B, and often Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug) coverage. You make a choice when you are first eligible for Medicare. Each year you can review your health and prescription needs and switch to a different plan in the fall.
Medicare Advantage Plans are health plan options that are approved by Medicare but run by private companies. They are part of the Medicare Program, and sometimes called "Part C." When you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you are still in Medicare. As long as you have both Part A and Part B, items covered by Part A and Part B are covered whether you have the Original Medicare Plan, or you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO).
Part D: Prescription Drug Coverage
Medicare Prescription Drug Plans are offered by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare.