Medicare

Medicare is Divided into four categories

This allows you to customize your coverage and structure a plan that’s right for you.

PART A (Hospital Insurance) covers most medically necessary hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care. It is free if you have worked and paid Social Security taxes for the required amount of time; you will pay a monthly premium if you have worked and paid taxes for less than the required time.

PART B (Medical Insurance) covers most medically necessary doctors’ services, preventive care, durable medical equipment , hospital outpatient services, laboratory tests, x-rays, mental health care, and some home health and ambulance services. You pay a monthly premium for this coverage.

PART C (combines Parts A and B and often Part D as well) Part C is the part of Medicare policy that allows private health insurance companies to provide Medicare benefits. These Medicare private

health plans, such as HMO’s and PPO’s are known as MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS. If you want, you can choose to get your Medicare coverage through a Medicare Advantage Plan instead of through Original Medicare.

Medicare Advantage Plans must offer at least the same benefits as Original Medicare (those covered under Parts A and B) but can do so with different rules, costs, and coverage restrictions. You also typically get Part D as part of your Medicare Advantage benefits package. Many different kinds of Medicare Advantage Plans are available. You may pay a monthly premium for this coverage, in addition to your Part B premium.

PART D (outpatient Prescription Drug Insurance) Part D is provided through private insurance companies that have contracts with the government – it is never provided directly by the government as Original Medicare is. If you want Part D, you must choose Part D coverage that works with your Medicare health benefits. If you have Original Medicare, choose a stand-alone Part D plan (PDP).