About Medicare Products

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The Medicare program is a federally managed health insurance program for people 65 or older, people under 65 who have certain disabilities, and people of all ages who have permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant (a condition referred to as End-Stage Renal Disease).

Medicare now offers four kinds of insurance: hospital (Part A), medical (Part B), Medicare Advantage — formerly Medicare+Choice — (Part C), and prescription drug (Part D).

Part A: Hospital Coverage

Medicare Part A helps cover inpatient care services received in hospitals and critical access hospitals, as well as intermittent inpatient care received in skilled nursing facilities. For those who meet certain eligibility requirements, Part A also covers hospice care and some home health care services. Part A does not cover long-term care.

Most people get Part A automatically when they turn 65. Part A is available at no cost to people who have worked, or whose spouses have worked, for at least 10 years and have paid Medicare taxes through their employers.

Part B: Medical Coverage

Medicare Part B helps cover doctor visits, outpatient care, and some additional services not covered by Part A (such as physical or occupational therapy). It also may cover medically required home health care services.

If you are interested in receiving Part B, you can sign up anytime during a seven-month period that begins three months before your 65th birthday. Part B requires a monthly payment, or premium, for coverage. Generally, this payment is deducted from your Social Security check. The premium amount is set when a person first becomes eligible to enroll in Part B. In most cases, premium rates will increase by 10% annually for those who do not enroll when they become eligible. Therefore, it is a good idea to consider enrolling in Part B as soon as you become eligible.

Part C: Medicare-approved Health Plans

These plans are approved by Medicare and run by private companies. When you join one of these plans (such as Keystone 65 HMO and Personal Choice 65 PPO), you are still in Medicare. Some of these plans require referrals to see specialists. They provide all of your Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) coverage. They generally offer extra benefits, and many include prescription drug coverage. These plans often have networks, which mean you may have to see doctors who belong to the plan or go to certain hospitals to get covered services. In many cases, your costs for services can be lower than in the Original Medicare Plan, but it is important to check with the plan because the costs for services will vary.

Part D: Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

Anyone who is eligible for Medicare is also eligible for Part D. Medicare Prescription Drug Plans are offered by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare.

With a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan:

Generally, you pay less for your prescriptions.
You will get a plan member card after you enroll. You use this card when you go to the pharmacy to get your prescriptions filled.
You will pay the copayment, coinsurance, and/or deductible, if any.

If you have limited income and resources, you may get extra help to pay for your Medicare drug plan costs. Learn more about Low-income Subsidy.