MEDICARE PART A:

Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and some home health care.

Most of the time Part A doesn't cost you anything in terms of monthly premium as long as you have paid 40 quarters in the the Medicare system through you taxes while you were working.

If you do end up needing to use your benefits, there is a large deductible that needs to be met before Part A starts paying benefits. You will pay a deductible and no coinsurance for days 1–60 of each benefit period.

MEDICARE PART B:

Medicare Part B is outpatient medical coverage. Part B helps pay for medically necessary services performed on an outpatient basis that are needed to diagnose and treat a medical condition.

Visits to your Primary Care Physician, Specialists, Surgeries, lab work, and preventative services are all covered under Part B. There is a monthly premium that you would be responsible for that will be withdrawn directly from your Social Security check if you are drawing Social Security. Otherwise you would need to pay the premium 3 months at a time from your checking account.

There is a once a year deductible that you would have to meet before Part B pays anything, then it is a 80/20 split where you would be responsible for 20% of the costs of service.

MEDICARE PART C:

Medicare Part C is also called Medicare Advantage (MA or MAPD). It’s an alternative to Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage may include prescription drug coverage, along with other extra benefits. It is offered through private insurance companies, so you don’t enroll in it at the Social Security office or their website. These are usually network plans such as HMO's and PPO's with copayments and coinsurance found all throughout the plan based on services rendered. If you have an MA plan then this becomes your Primary Insurance and Original Medicare gets set aside but you will still need to continue paying your Part B premiums.

MEDICARE PART D:

Medicare Part D is your prescription drug coverage. Part D coverage is available as a Stand Alone Option (PDP) or as part of a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C). Part D plans are offered by private insurance companies contracted and approved by Medicare. Medicare drug coverage is optional and is offered to everyone with Medicare. But if a beneficiary decides not to get it when first eligible, and they don’t have creditable prescription drug coverage (like drug coverage from an employer or union) or get Extra Help, they may pay a late enrollment penalty if they join a Part D plan later.

To learn more about the options of having Original Medicare with a Supplement and Drug Plan OR choosing a Medicare Advantage plan, please click one of the buttons below. You can also always press the "Click to Call" button to reach us today!