Summary: What is Medicare? What is the purpose? Who is eligible? What are the different parts? What do these parts cover? What are the costs? What are the benefits? What are the ABCDs of Medicare?

Medicare is defined according to Medicare.gov (the official site for Medicare) as “the federal health insurance program for people who are age 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Failure (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ERSD)”. Do you know the ABCDs of Medicare?

Medicare consists officially of 4 parts and 1 unofficial part:

  1. Medicare Part A: Hospital Insurance
  2. Medicare Part B: Medical Insurance
  3. Medicare Part C: Medicare Advantage
  4. Medicare Part D: Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
  5. Medicare Part E (unofficially): Medicare Supplement

What is new for 2013 for Medicare?

  1. Medicare will extend coverage to include services such as: screening and counseling for depression, alcohol misuse, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
  2. If you reach the “donut hole” for prescription drug coverage, you will only pay 47.5% for brand name drugs and 79% for generic drugs. These percentages for the donut hole are scheduled to decrease each year and by 2020, both brand name and generics will be available for 25%.

The next few articles will delve into each part of Medicare and outline the coverage as well as the costs. Medicare has become very complex and a refresher on exactly which parts cover which areas might help to provide clarification.

Do you know the dates of Medicare Open Enrollment and the ABCDs of Medicare?

ABCDs of Medicare and open enrollment dates

Open Enrollment

Don’t forget open enrollment for Medicare is October 15-December 7, 2012. This is your time to make any changes to your Medicare plans as well as enroll in additional plans.

Comments

We invite all comments in regard to this article. What are your thoughts on Medicare? What are your thoughts on the Affordable Care Act and Medicare?  Do you think the system is working? Do you think Medicare should be regulated and administered at the individual state level? How will the healthcare insurance exchanges impact Medicare?

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