Medicare And Medicaid Plans

Medicare is America's health insurance program for citizens or permanent residents age 65 or older. Some patients younger than age 65 can also qualify for Medicare, including those who have disabilities and those who have permanent kidney failure or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Medicare helps pay for the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.

The program is financed by a portion of the payroll taxes paid by workers and their employers, as well as monthly premiums deducted from Social Security checks. The Medicare program is run by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Medicare has four parts. Part A is hospital insurance which helps pay for inpatient services in a hospital, nursing facility or hospice, and some forms of home health care. Part B helps cover doctors’ services and many other medical services and supplies not covered by hospital insurance. Part C, or Medicare Advantage, allows patients to receive all of their health care services through one of the provider organizations listed under Part C. Part D is prescription drug coverage.

Medicare and Medicaid are two different programs. Medicaid is a state-run program providing hospital and medical coverage for low-income residents, and each state has its own eligibility rules and coverage benefits. Some people qualify for both programs. Information about the Medicaid program is available from local medical assistance agencies, social services or welfare offices.

Considering the high cost of medical care, Medicare provides patients with great financial savings. An average monthly premium of approximately $32 offers two levels of coverage, standard and catastrophic. After a $250 deductible, Medicare pays 75% of the cost of covered medications up to a yearly cost of $2,250. There is extra help for people with limited income and resources. Approximately one third of people with Medicare coverage will qualify for extra help and Medicare will pay for almost all of their prescription drug costs.

Once yearly out-of-pocket prescription costs exceed $3,600, which often happens in the event of serious health problems such as AIDS, cancer or heart disease , catastrophic coverage takes effect and Medicare covers up to 95% of the remaining drug charges for the rest of the year. Many health plans will offer more coverage, smaller deductibles or premiums lower than $32. Most patients with limited income and resources will pay only a few dollars for each prescription.

By: Frank Vanderlugt

Medigap Insurance Fills Holes Left By Medicare

We already know that health insurance should help us out when it comes to medical expenses. A lot of people will require more medical attention than others, especially those men and women who have reached a certain age. With this, it is important to have a back up plan in case medical help will be needed. Medicare is one such example of the insurance that aims to cover for expenses as necessary.

Medicare was enacted by the US government in the 1960’s as a means of providing medical benefits and support for retirees, or those who are above the age of 65. Medicare has certain provisions of which medical treatments are to be covered, such as hospital stays, x-rays, tests, medications, and others. There are specific parts in which the benefits are explained in detail. However, because Medicare is provided by the government, it can have some imposed limits as to what can be covered, so as a lot more people can be taken care of.

Because of some limitations of the Medicare insurance program, private insurance companies in the United States offer these Medicare clients an alternative, and that is Medigap insurance. Just as the name implies, Medigap bridges the gaps in the coverage which Medicare can not take care of, due to certain limitations.

Medigap is only made available to current policy holders of Medicare. They may apply three months before and three months after their 65th birthday, with not medical check up needed. Also, the insurer must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and B in order to be eligible for Medigap. There are also some private companies that give their retiring employees Medigap insurance. The terms and conditions for the sale and purchase of Medigap is different in each state.

Medigap benefits are labeled A to L, with each package covering only specific aspects of medical treatments that an insurer might need. Some examples are for hospital stays, physician fees, foreign travel emergencies, preventive care, prescription drugs, skilled care, and others. You may look at several other websites that can provide more detailed information about Medicare and Medigap as insurance options for people ages 65 and older.

Your Medigap policy generally fits together with Medicare Part A and Part B. You still have to pay the premiums for Medicare Part B, Medigap does not replace that, it’s in addition to it. The premium for Medigap is paid directly to the insurance company. Also, please be aware that your Medigap policy is not going to cover your spouse, each of you will need to have separate coverage with individual Medigap policies.

Comparing Medigap insurance policies is easy. Each insurance company must include standardized benefits allowing the purchaser to compare related items in the policy and be able to identify the best deal at a glance. Web services such as InsuranceDesk.com make it easy for you to compare costs among numerous insurance companies. When you enter your information, you will receive quotes from several local insurance agents, allowing you to simply choose the best plan at the best price.

By: Earl Cronin