Senior Health

Medicare

Medicare is a U.S. government health insurance program. The plan covers people age 65 or older, younger ones with disabilities, and patients with end-stage renal disease.

Medicare is made up of several plans covering particular aspects of health care, and some come at a cost for the insured. While this allows the program to offer participants more choices in terms of costs and coverage, it also introduces complexity for those seeking to sign up.

Key Take Aways

• Medicare is a national program that subsidizes healthcare services for anyone age 65 or older, younger people with disabilities, and patients with end-stage renal disease.
• Medicare is divided into four components: Medicare Part A(in hospital), Part B(outpatient services such as doctor visits and walk in clinic visits), Part C (also called Medicare Advantage), and Part D for prescription drugs.
• Medicare Part A premiums are free for those who made Medicare contributions through payroll taxes for at least 10 years.
• Patients are responsible for paying premiums for other parts of the Medicare program.