MEDICARE BASICS

Medicare is health insurance for:

• People 65 or older

• People under 65 with certain disabilities

• People of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) (permanent kidney failure

requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant)

The different parts of Medicare help cover specific services:

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) helps cover

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) helps cover

Services from doctors and other health care providers, hospital outpatient care, durable medical equipment, and home health care
Preventive services to help maintain your health and to keep certain illnesses from getting worse

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage)

Includes all benefits and services covered under Part A and Part B
Run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies
Usually includes Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) as part of the plan
May include extra benefits and services for an extra cost

Medicare Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage)

Helps cover the cost of outpatient prescription drugs
Run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies
May help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future