How does Medicare Work?
What is Medicare?
Medicare is health insurance for:
People aged 65 or older | Certain people under 65 with disabilities | People of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) Helps Cover:
Inpatient care in hospitals
Skilled nursing facility care
Hospice care
Home health care
How Can I Enhance My Coverage?
Medicare part c
Includes all benefits and services covered under Part A and Part B
Run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies that follow rules set by Medicare
Usually includes Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) as part of the plan
Plans have a yearly limit on your out-of-pocket costs for medical services
May include extra benefits and services that aren’t covered by Original Medicare, sometimes for an extra cost
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) Helps Cover:
Services from doctors and other health care providers
Outpatient care
Home health care
Durable medical equipment
Many preventive services
add a prescription drug plan (Medicare part d)
Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs
Run by Medicare-approved drug plans that follow rules set by Medicare
May help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future
add a supplement and a prescription drug plan
A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy helps pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like:
Copayments
Coinsurance
Deductibles
Medigap policies are sold by private companies. Some Medigap policies also cover services that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like medical care when you travel outside the U.S. If you have Original Medicare and you buy a Medigap policy, here's what happens:
Medicare will pay its share of the Medicare-approved amount for covered health care costs.
Then, your Medigap policy pays its share.