What is Medicare?

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)

Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and some home health care.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) 

Part B covers certain doctors' services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive services.

Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage)

Part D adds prescription drug coverage to:

• Original Medicare

• Some Medicare Cost Plans

• Some Medicare Private-Fee-for-Service Plans

• Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans

WHAT ARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS, and are there “Advantages”?

Medicare Advantage Plans, also known as Part C, are an “all in one” alternative to Original Medicare.

Medicare Advantage Plans are a type of Medicare health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide all your Part A and Part B benefits.

Your Medicare services aren’t paid for by Original Medicare, but you are still in the Medicare program, and have all the rights and protections of Medicare. And unlike original Medicare, Advantage plans have a maximum out of pocket (amounts vary). Think of this as a “ceiling”, or limit. Once you reach your plan’s limit, you pay nothing for Part A and Part B services that the plan covers, for the rest of the year.

Most plans offer extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover – like vision, hearing, dental, gym membership, and more.

Most Medicare Advantage Plans have prescription drug coverage built-in, but there are plans with no drug coverage (primarily meant for Veterans who get their prescription coverage through the VA etc).

AND, then there’s MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT plans, also referred to as MEDIGAP POLICIES…

SO, how in the world do you go about figuring it all out, AND what is the best fit for YOUR needs?

That’s where I come in!