Intro to Medicare

Introduction

Before you think about signing up, it's important to learn about the different parts of Medicare. You have choices to make, so first things first, let's break down how the various parts are categorized. 

 Part A - Hospital Insurance

 Part B - Medical Insurance

 Part C - Medicare Advantage Plans

 Part D - Prescription Drug Coverage

Video tutorial

Part A - Hospital Insurance

Most people don't pay a premium for Part A because they, or their spouse, already paid for it through their payroll tax deductions while working.

Part B - Medical Insurance

For this insurance, most people pay a monthly premium, which covers care you'll receive from your doctors and other health care providers.

Part C - Medicare Advantage Plans

Private insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts offer Medicare Advantage Plans. By law, insurance providers must offer the same benefits as Original Medicare and can also offer you additional benefits as well. HMOs and PPOs are examples of these private health plans. Some plan options even include Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D) benefits.

Part D - Prescription Drug Coverage

This coverage option can help lower your current prescription drug costs and keep you from having to pay higher costs in the future. These plans are only available through private insurance companies, like us.