Part A (Hospital Ins)Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and home health care. 😷

Part B (Medical Ins)Helps cover:Services from doctors and other health care providersOutpatient careHome health careDurable medical equipment (like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and other equipment)Many preventive services (like screenings, shots or vaccines, and yearly “Wellness” visits)💊Part D (Drug coverage)Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs (including many recommended shots or vaccines). You join a Medicare drug plan in addition to Original Medicare, or you get it by joining a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage. Plans that offer Medicare drug coverage are run by private insurance companies that follow rules set by Medicare.  

➕Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap):Extra insurance you can buy from a private company that helps pay your share of costs in Original Medicare. Policies are standardized, and in most states are named by letters, like Plan G or Plan K. The benefits in each lettered plan are the same, no matter which insurance company sells it.

Generally, you only need to sign up for Part A and Part B once. Each year, you can choose which way you get your health coverage (and add or switch drug coverage).Medicare is different from private insurance — it doesn’t offer plans for couples or families. You don’t have to make the same choice as your spouse. How does Original Medicare work?Original Medicare covers most, but not all, of the costs for approved health care services and supplies. After you meet your deductible, you pay your share of costs for services and supplies as you get them. There’s no limit on what you’ll pay out-of-pocket in a year unless you have other coverage (like Medigap, Medicaid, or employee or union coverage). Services covered by Medicare must be medically necessary.  Medicare also covers many preventive services, like shots and screenings. If you go to a doctor or other health care provider that accepts the Medicare-approved amount, your share of costs may be less. If you get a service that Medicare doesn’t cover, you pay the full cost. With Original Medicare, you can:Go to any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. Join a separate Medicare drug plan (Part D) to get drug coverage. Buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy to help lower your share of costs for services you get. How does Medicare Advantage work?Medicare Advantage bundles your Part A, Part B, and usually Part D coverage into one plan. Plans may offer some extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover — like vision, hearing, and dental services. You join a plan offered by Medicare-approved private companies that follow rules set by Medicare. Each plan can have different rules for how you get services, like needing referrals to see a specialist. Costs for monthly premiums and services you get vary depending on which plan you join.Plans must cover all emergency and urgent care, and almost all medically necessary services Original Medicare covers. Some plans tailor their benefit packages to offer additional benefits to treat specific conditions.

With Medicare Advantage, you: Need to use doctors who are in the plan’s network (for non-emergency or non-urgent care).May pay a premium for the plan in addition to the monthly Part B premium. Plans may have a $0 premium or may help pay all or part of your Part B premiums.Can’t buy or use separate supplemental coverage (like Medigap).

Do I need to sign up for Medicare when I turn 65?It depends on how you get your health insurance now and the number of employees that are in the company where you (or your spouse) work.Generally, if you have job-based health insurance through your (or your spouse’s) current job, you don’t have to sign up for Medicare while you (or your spouse) are still working. You can wait to sign up until you (or your spouse) stop working or you lose your health insurance (whichever comes first).If you’re self-employed or have health insurance that’s not available to everyone at the company: Ask your insurance provider if your coverage is employer group health plan coverage (defined by the IRS.) If it’s not, sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 to avoid a monthly Part B late enrollment penalty.If the employer has less than 20 employees: You might need to sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 so you don’t have gaps in your job-based health insurance. Check with the employer.If you have COBRA coverage: Sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 to avoid gaps in coverage and a monthly Part B late enrollment penalty. If you have COBRA before signing up for Medicare, your COBRA will probably end once you sign up.