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Medicare: What You Need to Know

Medicare is a Federally-regulated health insurance program for:

  • people age 65 or older,
  • people under age 65 with certain disabilities, and
  • people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant).

Medicare has four parts:

Part A Hospital Insurance - Part A covers 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. Beneficiaries must meet certain conditions to get these benefits. Most people don't pay a premium for Part A because they or a spouse already paid for it through their payroll taxes while working.

Part B Medical Insurance - Part B covers doctors' services and outpatient care. It also covers some other medical services that Part A doesn't cover, such as some of the services of physical and occupational therapists, and some home health care. Part B helps pay for these covered services and supplies when they are medically necessary. Most people pay a monthly premium for Part B.

 

Part C Medicare Advantage - these private insurance plans "outsource" your Original Medicare Part's A & B to a private company. Frequently, but not always, they include Part D Prescription Drug coverage. More detailed information is provided under the Medicare Advantage Plans link on the right side of this page.

 

Part D Prescription Drug - these private insurance plans help offset the cost of your medications utilizing combined buying power of millions of beneficiaries under the Part D umbrella. More detailed information is provided under the Part D Prescription Drugs Plans link on the right side of this page.

This information comes from www.cms.gov

By contacting the phone number on this website you will be directed to a licensed agent.