Medicare provides health insurance to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents as long as they have been living in the United States for at least five continuous years. Medicare is broken down into four plans: A, B, C, D. Medicare Plan A covers expenses incurred in a hospital. Medicare Plan B, on the other hand, covers care outside of a hospital setting, such as outpatient procedures, preventative care, and telehealth visits. Plan C, otherwise known as Medicare Advantage, covers “gaps” in coverage in both Plans A and B. For example, Plan B only covers up to 80% of services such as lab tests, kidney dialysis, chemotherapy, and other treatments. That other 20% can be covered by a Medicare Advantage plan. Lastly, Plan D covers drug prescription drugs so that the insured can have the medications that they need.
What does Medicare Plan A cover?
Medicare Plan A covers your inpatient care in a hospital, hospice care, home health care, and care received in a skilled nursing facility. Benefits include a semi-private hospital room and bed, medications, meals, social services, and lab services.
What does Medicare Plan A not cover?
Medicare does not cover expenses that are not deemed medically necessary. Custodial care is help received for daily activities from a non-skilled personal care worker, such as bathing, eating, and using the bathroom. However, if such services are medically necessary and it is imperative for you to be in a skilled nursing care facility, then Medicare will cover your stay. For example, if you have dressings that need to be changed, then the critical care received in that long-term care facility would be covered.
How much does Medicare Plan A cost?
For most people, Medicare Plan A will cost nothing. That’s right: zero. That’s because if you’re a U.S. citizen who has been working for at least the last 10 years, or a legal resident working for at least 5 years, then you have been paying taxes that you can now receive back in the form of health insurance. But if you don’t meet these requirements, then you’ll pay either $252 or $458 a month, depending on how many quarters you have worked. Give us a call at the South Florida Medicare Specialists if you have questions about your eligibility.
You can also qualify if your spouse has been working for at least 10 years and has paid into Medicare through taxes. If you are receiving benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, then you can also enjoy paying zero premiums for your hospital coverage, even if you haven’t filed for your benefits yet. Lastly, if you or your spouse had a Medicare-covered government job, then you will also enjoy zero premiums.
Again, even if you do not qualify for free Medicare, you can still pay to receive health insurance coverage through Plan A. Your monthly premium will be determined based on a few factors, so it’s best to give the South Florida Medicare Specialists to learn more about how much Medicare Plan A will cost for you.
How do I register for Medicare Plan A?
You can apply for Medicare online, but the best way is to contact the South Florida Medicare Specialists. While maintaining social distance, we are able to help you choose the right plan for you to ensure that you don’t have gaps where you need coverage most. We can also answer questions people often have about surgeries, injuries abroad, chronic illnesses, and more.