What is Medicare?

Medicare is health insurance for:

People 65 or older
People under 65 with certain disabilities
People of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant)

There are four "parts" to your Medicare benefits:

Medicare "Part A" and "Part B" are often called "Original Medicare"
Medicare "Part C" is often called "Medicare Advantage" plans or "MA Plans"
Medicare "Part D" is often called "Prescription Drug Coverage"

Part A - Hospital Coverage

Part A (also called Original Medicare) is managed by Medicare and provides Medicare benefits and coverage for:

Inpatient hospital care
Inpatient stays in most skilled nursing facilities
Hospice and home health services

Part B - Medical Coverage

Part B (also called Original Medicare) is managed by Medicare and provides Medicare benefits and coverage for:

Doctor and clinical lab services
Outpatient and preventive care
Home health care
Screenings, surgical fees and supplies
Physical and occupational therapy

Part C - combines both A and B

Medicare Part C (also called Medicare Advantage) is a different way of getting Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans combine Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) together in one plan. They can also be combined with Part D prescription drug coverage creating a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) Plan. Generally, these plans are offered as:

Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO plans)
Medicare Advantage Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO plans)
Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS plans)
Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNP plans)

Part D - Prescription Drug Coverage

A Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) can be a stand-alone plan (not joined with other insurance) or it may be combined with a Medicare Advantage Plan, also called a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) Plan. Part D plans:

Help cover the cost of prescription drugs
May help lower prescription drug costs and protect against higher costs in the future