Medicare

Not currently enrolled in MediCare A and B? Click Here

What Is Medicare?

Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for:

• People age 65 or older.
• People under age 65 with certain disabilities.
• People of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant).
  

Medicare has Two Parts:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance)
  Most people don't have to pay for Part A.
• Part B (Medical Insurance)
  Most people pay monthly for Part B.
  

You can choose different ways to get the services covered by Medicare. Depending on where you live, you may have different choices. In most cases, when you first get Medicare, you are in the Original Medicare Plan. You may want to consider a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to add drug coverage. Or, you may want to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that provides all your Part A, Part B, and often Part D coverage. You make a choice when you are first eligible for Medicare. Each year you can review your health and prescription needs and switch to a different plan in the fall.
As long as you have both Part A and Part B, items covered by Part A and Part B are covered whether you have the Original Medicare Plan, or you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO).

Part A (Hospital Insurance)

Care in hospitals as an inpatient, critical access hospitals (small facilities that give limited outpatient and inpatient services to people in rural areas), skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care), hospice care, and some home health care.
If you aren’t sure if you have Part A, look on your red, white, and blue Medicare card. If you have Part A, “HOSPITAL (PART A)” is printed on your card.

Most people get Part A automatically when they turn age 65. They don't have to pay a monthly payment called a premium for Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes while they were working.

If you don’t automatically get premium-free Part A, you may be able to buy it if

• You (or your spouse) aren’t entitled to Social Security because you didn’t work or didn’t pay enough Medicare taxes while you worked and you are age 65 or older, or 
• You are disabled but no longer get premium-free Part A because you returned to work.
  If you have limited income and resources, your state may help you pay for Part A and/or Part B.

Part B (Medical Insurance)

Doctors' services, outpatient hospital care, and some other medical services that Part A doesn't cover, such as the services of physical and occupational therapists, and some home health care. Part B helps pay for these covered services and supplies when they are medically necessary.

Most people pay the Medicare Part B premium of $96.40* per month in 2008. This amount may change January 1, 2009. In some cases this amount may be higher if you didn’t choose Part B when you first became eligible at age 65. The cost of Part B may go up 10% for each 12-month period that you could have had Part B but did not sign up for it, except in special cases. You will have to pay this extra 10% as long as you have Medicare Part B.

Your Part B premium may be higher if your income is above a certain level. For more information on Medicare Part B click here.

Enrolling in Part B is your choice. You can sign up for Part B anytime during a 7-month period that begins 3 months before you turn 65. If you choose to have Part B, the premium is usually taken out of your monthly Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement payment. If you don’t get any of the above payments, Medicare sends you a bill for your Part B premium every 3 months. You should get your Medicare premium bill by the 10th of the month.

For more information please call (203) 237-7900 or click here

 

  |    |   Share