Medicare
Understanding Medicare: Parts A, B, C & D
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and older, and for some younger individuals with disabilities. It’s divided into four main parts—A, B, C, and D—each covering different healthcare services.
🅰️ Medicare Part A – Hospital Insurance
Part A covers:
Inpatient hospital stays
Skilled nursing facility care (short-term)
Hospice care
Some home health services
Most people don’t pay a premium for Part A if they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes while working.
🅱️ Medicare Part B – Medical Insurance
Part B covers:
Doctor visits and outpatient care
Preventive services (screenings, vaccines, etc.)
Lab tests, X-rays, and durable medical equipment
Some home health services
Part B has a monthly premium and an annual deductible. It is optional but recommended to avoid future penalties.
🅾️ Medicare Part C – Medicare Advantage
Part C is an alternative to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare.
Medicare Advantage plans often include:
All Part A and B benefits
Prescription drug coverage (Part D)
Extra benefits, such as dental, vision, hearing, and fitness programs
You still pay your Part B premium, plus any plan-specific costs.
💊 Medicare Part D – Prescription Drug Coverage
Part D helps cover the cost of prescription medications. Plans are offered by private companies and vary in cost and drug coverage.
You can enroll in a Part D plan if you:
Have Original Medicare (Parts A and/or B), or
Have a Medicare Advantage plan that doesn’t include drug coverage
Enrolling in Part D late may result in a penalty, so it’s important to sign up on time.
• Medicare Advantage & Supplement Plans
Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement Plans
Explore your Medicare options and choose the coverage that works for you.
When you have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), you have two main options to get additional coverage:
Medicare Advantage Plans or Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans.
Here’s what you need to know:
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✅ Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C)
Offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare, these plans combine all your Medicare benefits into one plan.
🔹 What They Include:
• Part A (Hospital) and Part B (Medical) coverage
• Most plans include Part D (prescription drug coverage)
• May offer extra benefits like:
o Dental
o Vision
o Hearing
o Fitness programs
o Transportation or over-the-counter allowances
💲 Cost:
• May have low or $0 premiums
• Copays and coinsurance vary by plan
• You must continue paying your Part B premium
📍 Network:
• Use of a provider network (HMO or PPO)
• May require referrals or prior authorizations
⚠️ Important:
• You can’t have both a Medicare Advantage plan and a Medigap plan
Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap)
These are add-on plans sold by private insurance companies to help pay for costs not covered by Original Medicare.
🔹 What They Cover:
• Deductibles
• Coinsurance
• Copayments
• Some plans offer foreign travel emergency coverage
💲 Cost:
• You pay a monthly premium for the Medigap plan
• You also pay your Part B premium
• Does not include prescription drug coverage (you’ll need to add a Part D plan)
📍 Flexibility:
• No network restrictions – see any doctor or specialist that accepts Medicare
• No referrals needed
⚠️ Enrollment:
• The best time to enroll is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period (first 6 months after enrolling in Part B)
CLICK HERE Quote and enroll
Prescription Drug Plan Selection
💊 How to Enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D)
Get help paying for your medications.
Medicare Part D helps cover the cost of prescription drugs, including many brand-name and generic medications. These plans are offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare.
📝 Who Can Enroll?
You are eligible to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan if you:
Have Medicare Part A, Part B, or both
Live in the plan’s service area
You can get Part D coverage by:
Joining a standalone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP), or
Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) that includes drug coverage
📅 When Can You Enroll?
🔹 Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)
Begins 3 months before the month you turn 65
Ends 3 months after the month you turn 65 (7 months total)
Also applies if you’re under 65 and newly eligible for Medicare due to disability
🔹 Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
October 15 to December 7 each year
You can enroll in, switch, or drop a Part D plan
Coverage starts January 1 of the following year
🔹 Special Enrollment Period (SEP)
You may qualify to enroll or change your plan outside the regular periods if:
You move out of your plan’s service area
You lose other creditable drug coverage
You qualify for Extra Help
You move into or out of a long-term care facility
💡 Avoid Late Enrollment Penalties
If you don’t enroll in a Part D plan when you’re first eligible—and you don’t have creditable drug coverage—you may pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part D.
🖥️ How to Enroll
You can sign up for a Medicare drug plan through:
✅ Online:
Visit www.Medicare.gov to compare and enroll