Medicare coverage choices may include:
Original Medicare-Parts A and B
Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It covers care you receive when you stay in a hospital. It also covers care you get at skilled nursing facilities, home health care, and hospice care. Part A is premium-free if you or your spouse have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years. If you have worked less than 10 years, you can still get Part A. However, you will be responsible for paying a premium.
Medicare Part B is medical insurance. It helps you pay for doctor visits, tests, outpatient hospital care, and other services. Part B is voluntary, which means it’s your choice to join or not. If you do choose Part B, you pay a monthly premium and the amount depends on your annual income. Learn more about Part B premiums at medicare.gov.
Important: Original Medicare Parts A and B do not cover everything. There are deductibles for Part A and Part B. And, after you pay those deductibles, generally Medicare pays 80% of covered costs and you pay 20%.
Medicare Part C is Medicare Advantage (MA). MA plans are run by private companies that are approved by Medicare, like ConnectiCare. They include your Part A and Part B benefits, and many include Part D prescription drug coverage. These are called Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans (MAPD). Plus, many plans give you extra benefits not covered by Original Medicare, like routine care, dental, and wellness programs – often for no more than what you already pay for Part B.
Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage. Medicare Part D is not offered by Medicare itself. It is offered by private companies approved by Medicare. Many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage. They are called Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans (MAPD). You can also get a plan that offers Medicare Part D alone. This is called a Medicare Prescription Drug plan, or PDP.
Medicare Supplement plans (also known as “Medigap” coverage), help fill in the gaps to pay some of the costs for services that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, like copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. Medicare Supplement plans do not include prescription drug coverage. You need to purchase a separate Part D plan (PDP).
