Content Overview 
- Summary
- Eligibility For Medicare
- Enrollment (including changing plans)
- Original Fee-For-Service Medicare
- Medicare Advantage
- Medicare Part D
- Medicare: Medigap Policies
- Medicare: How To Choose Which Medicare Plan Is Best For You
- If You Have Private Health Insurance, Should You Keep It?
- Medicare: Financial Assistance
- Medicare And Medicaid
- Medicare: Claims
- Medicare Claims: Appeals
- Medicare: Identity Theft
- How To Get More Information About Medicare
Summary
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Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, people under age 65 with certain disabilities, and people of any age with End Stage Renal Disease or ALS.
You have to sign up to receive Medicare. Eligible people do not automatically receive unless you receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for 24 months, in which case you are then automatically enrolled in Medicare.
There are two types of Medicare: Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
- Original Medicare is a fee-for-service (indemnity) type of health insurance provided by the federal government.
- At the minimum, Original Medicare covers inpatient care in hospitals and similar settings (Medicare Part A).
- At the insured's option, original Medicare can also cover:
- Other medically necessary services such as a doctor's services (Medicare Part B).
- Prescription drugs (Medicare Part D).
- Policies that supplement Original Medicare are available from private companies. These policies are known as Medigap. It is difficult to get Medicap coverage if you have a pre-existing health condition unless you sign up during an open enrollment period.
- Medicare Advantage (sometimes called Medicare Part C) is an alternative to Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are provided by private companies approved by Medicare, and are subject to minimum requirements. Medicare Advantage plans are geared to save people money and/or increase covered health benefits. A variety of types of Medicare Advantage plans are available. The most popular is a managed care type plan (an HMO).
It is possible to have both Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-cal in California).
If you have difficulty paying Medicare premiums and costs, there is assistance available. You can also get health care at a Federally-funded health center (also known as HRSA Health Centers) where deductibles and co-insurance may be reduced or waived all together.
NOTE: Guard your Medicare card and I.D. number against identity theft the same way you do your credit cards.
To Learn More
More Information
Medicare: Definition Of Emergency
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