Learn About Medicare (Boot Camp)
These pages will allow you to have a greater understanding of the parts and pieces of Medicare. We will break this down to smaller portions to make it manageable. This page shows a broad overview of Medicare. Go to the specific page of Medicare to examine each one more closely.
| medicare_basics.docx |
Here is the overview of the four parts of Medicare
MEDICARE BASICS
WHAT IS MEDICARE AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Medicare is a Government health insurance program for people over 65, people under 65 with certain disabilities, and people with kidney dialysis (end stage renal disease - ESRD) or ALS.
THE PARTS OF MEDICARE A,B,C,D
PART A HOSPITAL: Helps cover inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facilities, and home health care. If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes while working there may be no premium. Other people may have a premium if they did not meet the criteria for premium free Part A.
PART B MEDICAL: Helps cover doctors and other health care provider services, as well as outpatient care, durable medical equipment, and home health care. Part B also helps cover some preventative services to catch problems early or keep certain health conditions from getting worse. Most people will pay up to the standard amount for Part B Medicare however monthly premiums can be higher if your income was over certain thresholds for the period of two years prior to eligibility.
PART C / MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS: These are health plan options that are run by Medicare approved private insurance companies. These plans are a way to get the services and benefits covered by A and B. Many of these plans include prescription drug coverage (PART D), and some of these plans also offer additional benefits not included in original Medicare, although additional premiums may apply.
PART D PRESCRIPTION DRUG: Like the part C plans, these are also run by private insurance companies and obviously help cover the sky rocketing cost of today’s prescription drugs.
WHAT IS MEDICARE AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Medicare is a Government health insurance program for people over 65, people under 65 with certain disabilities, and people with kidney dialysis (end stage renal disease - ESRD) or ALS.
THE PARTS OF MEDICARE A,B,C,D
PART A HOSPITAL: Helps cover inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facilities, and home health care. If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes while working there may be no premium. Other people may have a premium if they did not meet the criteria for premium free Part A.
PART B MEDICAL: Helps cover doctors and other health care provider services, as well as outpatient care, durable medical equipment, and home health care. Part B also helps cover some preventative services to catch problems early or keep certain health conditions from getting worse. Most people will pay up to the standard amount for Part B Medicare however monthly premiums can be higher if your income was over certain thresholds for the period of two years prior to eligibility.
PART C / MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS: These are health plan options that are run by Medicare approved private insurance companies. These plans are a way to get the services and benefits covered by A and B. Many of these plans include prescription drug coverage (PART D), and some of these plans also offer additional benefits not included in original Medicare, although additional premiums may apply.
PART D PRESCRIPTION DRUG: Like the part C plans, these are also run by private insurance companies and obviously help cover the sky rocketing cost of today’s prescription drugs.