There are five types of Medicare insurance coverage. 

Medicare A and B are through the Social Security Administration. Medicare C, D, and Supplemental are available through private insurance companies. To understand what Medicare options are available, we need to define each type of insurance.

Medicare Part A

Part A is hospital coverage, which will cover inpatient hospital stays and home health care if your doctor refers this service. When referring to home health care, it means a Social Worker, Nurse, Home Health Aide, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, or Speech Therapist goes out to a patient’s residence to work with them. Home health does not include non-medical services such as caregivers. Part A may also cover Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) for up to 100 days in a benefit period, but you need to confirm this with the SNF.

Medicare Part B

Part B is for doctor’s appointments, non-admitted emergency room visits, outpatient services, durable medical equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs, plus more, x-rays and lab tests.

Medicare Part C

Part C is known as the Medicare Advantage plan. When someone has this type of coverage, they still have Medicare. The difference is a private health insurance company provides the method and services. Medicare Advantage plans mimic covered services under Medicare Plans A, B and D, and the only difference is that Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra benefits such as dental, vision or hearing coverage, which you need to check with the provider. Two essential things about this type of coverage are you have to reside within the service area of the Medicare Advantage provider, and the provider has to accept new users.  

Medicare Part D

Part D is for prescription drug coverage.

Private insurance offers these plans. Part D provides coverage for a variety of vaccines and outpatient prescription drugs. Each insurance carrier handles differently, so you will need to speak with a health insurance agent/broker or HICAP counselor to pick the plan that addresses your needs.

Medicare Supplemental Insurance

Medicare supplemental insurance is for Medigap coverage because it provides extra insurance for whatever Medicare does not fully cover.

That means that Medicare is the primary insurance, and Medicare Supplemental would be the secondary insurance and follow Medicare’s decision. But, again, private insurance companies offer these plans.

How does one get Medicare insurance coverage?

A person must file for Medicare A and B through the Social Security Administration. If a person is interested in Medicare Part C, D, or Supplemental, speak with a health insurance agent/broker or a HICAP counselor. They can go into more detail about the various plans and find the right option for you. If you need help finding a health insurance agent/broker, let STAGES help you.

STAGES is here to help guide you through the aging process.