What Does Medicare Cover?

Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, under age 65 with certain disabilties and any age with ESRD. Medicare has four parts:

Part A (Hospital Insurance) - cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice care, and home health care.
Part B (Medical Insurance) - covers services like doctors, outpatient care, some preventative services and other medical services that part A does not cover.
Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) - private insurers that provide Part A, Part B and sometime Part D coverage to people who enroll
Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage)- Helps cover prescription costs.
Listed below are some common examples of what medicare covers and what you may pay without a medigap or medicare advantage plan.
Cost - Sharing Medicare pays in 2008 What you pay in 2008
Part A Hospital Coverage Deductible
1-60 Days
61-90 Days
91-160 Days
Blood
Nothing
100%
All but $256 per day
All but $512 per day
All but three pints
$1,024
Nothing
$256 per day
$512 per day
three pints
Skilled Nursing
1-20 days
21-100 days
100%
All but $128 per day
Nothing
$128 per day
Medicare Part B
Deductible
Coinsurance
Excess Benefits
Nothing
80%
Nothing
$135
20%
100% up to Medicare’s Limit
Foreign Travel Nothing 100%
This is just a partial table of all of the benefits offered under Medicare. Please contact the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services for a complete description.
If you would like a quote on a Medicare supplement or Medicare advantage plan to help pay for the costs medicare does not cover please click on this Medigap quote link.