Medicare is the government program that began in 1965 to provide medical coverage to people age 65 and older regardless of income. Throughout the years, the program has been expanded to include people under age 65 if they have qualifying disabilities. Today, more than 55 million Americans are enrolled in the Medicare program.
Medicare coverage is divided into four main parts: Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D. Parts A and B are sometimes called original Medicare and are administered by the government. Parts C and D were added later and are administered through private insurers approved by Medicare.
Part A: Hospital Benefit
Under Part A, beneficiaries are responsible for a deductible and coinsurance for certain types of inpatient stays. Part A typically covers the following:
- Hospital care
- Skilled nursing facility care
- Some nursing home care
- Hospice
- Home health services
Part B: Medical Benefit
Under Part B, beneficiaries are responsible for a deductible, and most beneficiaries pay 20 percent coinsurance for Part B services. Part B covers medications administered by a physician, like certain vaccinations or chemotherapy that are injected or infused. Part B also typically covers the following:
- Doctor visits
- Preventive care
- Lab tests, x-rays and more
- Ambulance services
- Durable medical equipment
- Mental health• Inpatient• Outpatient• Partial hospitalization• Getting a second opinion before surgery• Limited outpatient prescription drugs
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