What is Medicare?
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for everyone who is 65 or older or those under 65 with certain disabilities.
With Original Medicare, there are two Parts that provide different coverage — Medicare Part A and Part B.
What does it cover?
Medicare has two parts — Part A and B.
Part A covers:
- Inpatient care in a hospital — When you’re admitted to the hospital as an inpatient after an official doctor’s order, which says you need inpatient hospital care to treat your illness or injury.
- Skilled nursing facility care
- Hospice care
- Home health care
Part B covers:
- Medically necessary services: Services or supplies that are needed to diagnose or treat your medical condition and that meet accepted standards of medical practice.
- Preventive services: Health care to prevent illness (like the flu) or detect it at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to work best.
However, it only covers 80% of these services. Without a Medicare insurance plan, you are on the hook for 20% coinsurance/copayment plans.
Does Medicare have a deductible?
Yes. Both parts have deductibles.
Part A’s deductible, the inpatient hospital deductible that beneficiaries will pay when admitted to the hospital, will be $1,600 in 2023.
Part B’s deductible, the one you pay for medically necessary services or supplies, is $226 in 2023.
There are insurance plans, called Medicare Supplements that can cover some or all of your deductibles depending on your eligibility.
Medicare does not cover prescription drugs
If you stick with Part A and B, you will have to pay out-of-pocket for your prescription medicine.
To get coverage, you will either have to purchase a standalone Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that incorporates a Part D plan in it from a Medicare insurance company.
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