What is Medicare and who can get it?
Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older. Some younger people are eligible for Medicare including people with disabilities, permanent kidney failure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS). Medicare helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.
Original Medicare included:
- Part A—Hospital insurance helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or limited time at a skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay), and some home health care and hospice care.
- Part B—Medical insurance helps pay for doctors’ services and many other medical services and supplies that the hospital insurance does not cover.
Other parts of Medicare are:
- Part C—Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private companies and approved by Medicare. These plans generally help you pay the medical costs not covered by Original Medicare.
- Part D—Prescription drug coverage helps pay for prescribed medications.
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