What is Medicare?
Medicare is the largest government-sponsored health insurance program in the United States. It is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Eligibility
Only certain people are eligible for Medicare. The following individuals are allowed to enroll:
- People age 65 or older
- People under age 65 with certain disabilities
- Any age individual with End-Stage Renal Disease
Types of Medicare Benefits
There are four types of Medicare benefits:
- Part A is Hospital Insurance, where your hospital visits are covered under certain circumstances.
- Part B is Medical Insurance, where services and products not covered in Part A are offered. These include physician and nursing services, x-rays, and blood transfusions.
- Part C is Medicare Advantage plans, where you can choose to be taken care of by a private health insurance plans. This part is fairly new.
- Part D, the newest, includes Prescription Drug plans. This plan is not standardized.
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Once You Become a Beneficiary
There are several enrollment periods for a Medicare plan that you should always remember. There is the Initial Coverage Election Period, the Annual Election Period, and the Open Enrollment Period. You can learn more about these periods by reading When to Enroll.
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You may be able to get extra help to pay for your prescription drug premiums and costs. To see if you qualify for getting extra help, call:
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY/TDD users should call 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day/7 days a week;
- The Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. TTY/TDD users should call, 1-800-325-0778; or
Your State Medicaid Office
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