What is Medicare?

Complete Guide To Medicare

Medicare is a health insurance program for:

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

If you do not apply for the right parts of Medicare when you are first eligible it could lead to lifelong penalties.

Medicare is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and most people are enrolled via the Social Security Administration (SSA) for Original Medicare

What is ORIGINAL MEDICARE

Medicare Parts A and B lay the groundwork for your Medicare coverage. These two sections of Medicare are referred to as “Original Medicare” when they are combined. You must be enrolled in Original Medicare to enroll in most plans available and to avoid penalties later.

What Original Medicare DOES NOT cover?

  • Long-Term Care
  • Deductibles and Co-Pays
  • Dental Care
  • Routine Vision Care
  • Hearing Aids
  • Medical care outside of the U.S.
  • Plastic and/or cosmetic surgery
  • Massage therapy

*Some of these things CAN be covered by enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) depending on the plan.

original medicare

Make no mistake: Medicare is a difficult system to navigate

It contains alphabet soup-like parts and plans, as well as a wide range of policy combinations, eligibility requirements, and enrollment periods.

By breaking down the numerous options and discussing them in depth, we want to clear up any misconceptions you may have regarding Medicare. Our objective is to equip you with the knowledge you need to make the best decisions possible.

*If you have limited income and resources, your state may help you pay for Part A, and/or Part B. You may also qualify for Extra Help to pay for your Medicare prescription drug coverage.