A look at what Medicare is
If you live in the United States, then you probably have heard of this word being mentioned by the people around you. Medicare refers to health insurance for people who are aged 65 years and above. The insurance also covers certain people who are not aged 65, but live with certain disabilities. Lastly, Medicare also applies to people who have End-Stage Renal Disease, often abbreviated as ESRD. ESRD refers to permanent kidney failure that causes the patient to require a kidney transplant or dialysis for the rest of their lives. Costs that are not covered by Medicare can always be paid by enrolling for Medicare supplement plans 2022.
Medicare is a popular thing among senior citizens in the United States because it helps them to stay healthier and to live longer. In order for Medicare to be effective, it is divided into different parts with each part covering a specific part of the healthcare system. In this article, I will be looking at the different parts of Medicare that you should know about.
Part A
Part A of Medicare is the part that deals with hospital insurance. In fact, it is also known as Hospital Insurance besides being referred to as Medicare Part A. This part of Medicare covers inpatient care that patients receive in hospitals or other health facilities. Part A also extends to cover the care that one may receive from skilled nursing facilities. Lastly, Part A covers hospice care and home health care.
Part B
Medicare Part B is called medical insurance and it helps those who are enrolled to cover the cost for services that doctors and other healthcare professionals offer. It covers outpatient care, home health care, and durable medical equipment such as walkers, hospital beds, and wheelchairs among other equipment.
Lastly, Part B of Medicare covers many of the preventive services that people usually require in order to stay healthy. These include shots or vaccines, screening, and wellness visits that people make to health facilities on a yearly or so basis.
Part D
Part D of Medicare covers the cost for prescription drugs, which includes vaccines or shots. Medicare drug coverage plans are usually operated by private companies which operate under the laws and rules stipulated by Medicare.
When you are enrolled to Medicare, you have the freedom to choose how you receive the services offered under the program. Usually, there are two ways that people often receive Medicare services. The first way is called the original Medicare, which includes hospital insurance. The second way is Medicare Part B. if someone wants drug coverage, they usually have to join a separate plan.
If you are enrolled to Part A, Part B, and Part C, there will still be certain costs that won’t be covered, which will require you to pay for the costs involved from your own pocket. In order to make things easier for you, you can buy Medicare Supplement Plans, which are meant to help people pay for out-of-pocket costs that they usually have to pay because Medicare doesn’t cover them. Besides Medicare Supplement Plans, you can go for Medigap plans, but you can’t be enrolled in both at the same time.