The A,B,Cs of Medicare

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  What is Medicare?

  Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, under age 65 with certain disabilities, and any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant). Original Medicare covers many health care services and supplies, but there are many costs (“gaps”) it doesn’t cover.

  The Different Parts of Medicare:

  The different parts of Medicare help cover specific services if you meet certain conditions. Medicare has the following parts:

  Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)

  • Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals
  • Helps cover skilled nursing facility, hospice, and home health care

  Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)

  • Helps cover doctors’ services and outpatient care
  • Helps cover some preventive services to help maintain your health and to keep certain illnesses from getting worse

  Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) (like an HMO or PPO)

  • A health coverage choice run by private companies approved by Medicare
  • Includes Part A, Part B, and usually other coverage including prescription drugs

  Medicare Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage)

  • Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs
  • May help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future
  
  
  

  Source CMS publication #02110, Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People With Medicare, available online at: http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02110.pdf