Keeping It Simple

Medicare is a federal program that offers health insurance to American citizens and other eligible individuals.

Who can get Medicare?

Once you turn 65 and have worked for 10 years (40 quarters), you are eligible for Part A. With Part A, you have help with hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, hospice and home health care. If you’ve worked for 10 years, you receive Part A with no premium.

Once you turn 65, you are also eligible for Part B, but based on your income, there’s a monthly premium. Part B helps cover services from doctors and other health care providers. This would be considered Outpatient care.

Original Medicare

Original Medicare is a federal insurance program that provides guaranteed health insurance for people age 65 and older and for younger people who qualify because of a disability. More commonly known as Original Medicare or Traditional Medicare, the program refers to the first two parts of Medicare, Part A and Part B.

Medicare Eligibility

Medicare eligibility isn’t based on your income or assets, and you can’t be denied coverage or charged more because of existing medical conditions. With original Medicare, you can use any doctor or other provider in the United States that participates in the program. More than 95 percent of surgeons, about 90 percent of physicians who aren’t pediatricians, 80 percent of most other specialists and 60 percent of psychiatrists are accepting new Medicare patients.

While Original Medicare does offer health insurance that covers Doctors & Hospital care, being responsible for 20% of Part B Services (hospital) can be very costly and in some cases bankrupt an individual.