Overview
Medicare is a federal health insurance program that covers millions of Americans. In general, you are eligible for Medicare if you are 65 or older, or you are younger than 65 and meet criteria for certain disabilities, or have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
The Medicare basics have four main components:
Medicare Part A helps pay for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, some home-health services, and hospice care.
Medicare Part B helps pay for physician services, outpatient hospital care, and other medical services not covered by Part A. Together, Parts A and B are known as Original Medicare.
Medicare Part C, usually known as Medicare Advantage, is offered by private health care organizations. These plans cover all services under Parts A and B and usually offer additional benefits.
Medicare Part D helps pay for outpatient prescription drugs and is available through private health care organizations such as Kaiser Permanente. Part C plans often include Medicare Part D coverage.