The federal health insurance program is known as Medicare. It is a health insurance plan for people who are 65 years and above. Others who can enroll in the plan are people with disabilities and those who are suffering from end-stage renal disease, which is a case of permanent kidney failure.

Administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare pays for numerous health expenses. Medicare is an entitlement scheme that is similar to Social Security. Most American citizens are eligible to enroll for Medicare if they have worked and paid their federal and state taxes for a specified period of time.

Medicare has four varied parts, covering parts A and B that are referred to as the original Medicare. The Part C is also known as Medicare Advantage and it is a private health insurance. Medicare Part D is specifically designed to offer coverage for prescription drugs.

Let us see what the different Medicare parts cover.

Medicare Part A
Medicare Part A, or Original Medicare, is hospital insurance and covers expenses encompassing inpatient hospital care, home health care services, skilled nursing facility care, and hospice.

Medicare Part A covers certain costs for a total of 90 days in a hospital and 100 days in a skilled nursing facility. The federal health insurance also covers up to 60 lifetime reserve days. The reserve days are those spent in a hospital for longer than 90 days at a stretch.

Medicare Part B
This is a medical insurance and covers certain non-hospital medical expenses. The coverage benefits include

• doctor’s office visits,

• x-rays,

• blood tests,

• diabetic screenings and supplies, and

• outpatient hospital care.

Medicare also covers entire expenses for numerous lab tests and services by your doctor.

A beneficiary of Medicare Part B is required to pay a monthly premium. The premium may be higher for people who fall under a higher income group.

Medicaid is a different government program that helps cover Medicare Part B premiums for low-income beneficiaries.

Medicare Part C
Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage, includes almost every type of coverage in a single health plan. Offered by private insurance companies, Medicare Part C is provided as an alternative to the Original Medicare. It is optional to enroll in the Medicare Advantage program, but an individual is required to have the Medicare Part A and B plans to obtain it.

Medicare Advantage plans offer all the benefits of Medicare Part A and B plans, except for hospice care. Moreover, the Part C plan includes additional coverage that varies on the basis of the private health insurer.

Many Medicare Advantage plans offer coverage for prescription drugs, these plans are known as Medicare Advantage Prescription Drugs plans. Medicare Advantage plans may also include some of the benefits that are not covered under the Medicare Part A and B plans. These additional benefits include eye examinations, dental care, hearing aids, and healthcare services received while traveling outside the country.

Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs. Each Medicare drug plan has a formulary, which is its own list of covered drugs. Medicare drug plans have their drugs listed into different tiers on their formularies, and each drug in its respective tier has a different cost. Generally, drugs in a lower tier are cheaper than those in a higher tier.

Drugs not covered under Medicare Part D

Although this is not the complete list, some of the drugs not covered under the Part D plan are listed here.

• Weight loss or weight gain drugs

• Drugs for cosmetic purposes or hair growth

• Fertility drugs

• Drugs for erectile dysfunction

• Over-the-counter drugs