Medicare Part A OR

Medicare Part A

Medicare Part A pays all medical costs for you and your spouse, when you're eligible for Medicare. These are the basics you need to know. Parts B and D cover your medical costs and Medicare’s, respectively.

Cost

Summary: When you qualify for Medicare, it’s usually Medicare Part A and Part B that you’re first enrolled in. Medicare Part A and Part B make up Original Medicare. If you’re wondering what Medicare Part A covers and what Part B covers: Medicare Part A generally helps pay your costs as a hospital inpatient. Medicare Part B may help pay for doctor visits, preventive services, lab tests, medical equipment and supplies, and more.

Unlike Part A, Part B involves more costs, and you may want to defer signing up for it if you are still working and have insurance through your job or are covered by your spouse’s health plan. But if you don’t have other insurance and don’t sign up for Part B when you first enroll in Medicare, you’ll likely have to pay a higher monthly premium for as long as you’re in the program. (Source: www.aarp.org)

Part

To be proactive about keeping your medical bills down, it’s a good idea to find out before using a Part A service if Medicare will cover all, part, or none of the cost. If Medicare won’t cover enough of the expense, find out why. There may be an alternative that is covered that would still help you, or you can file an appeal to try to get the coverage decision changed in your favor.

The program helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage. If you choose to have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) coverage, you can buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy from a private insurance company. (Source: www.ssa.gov)