|
|
Hotel ONLINE English / Italiano / Deutsch Español / Français 日本語 / 中文 |
| ||||||||||||
|
Guide to Health Insurance (Medicare)WHAT IS MEDICAREBefore discussing Medigap and the other types of private insurance available to supplement Medicare, it will be helpful to review your Medicare benefits and identify the payment gaps. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65 or older, people of any age with permanent kidney failure, and certain disabled people under 65. It is administered by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Social Security Administration, also a part of HHS, provides information about the program and handles enrollment.Two Parts of MedicareMedicare has two parts--Hospital Insurance (Part A) and Medical Insurance (Part B). Part A is financed through part of the Social Security (FICA) tax paid by workers and their employers. You do not have to pay a monthly premium for Medicare Pan A if you or your spouse is entitled to benefits under either the Social Security or Railroad Retirement systems or worked a sufficient period of time in federal, state, or local government employment to be insured.If you do not qualify for premium-free Part A benefits, you may purchase the coverage if you are at least age 65 and meet certain requirements. You also may buy Part A if you are under age 65, were previously entitled to Medicare under the disability provisions and you still have the same disabling impairment but your disability benefits were terminated because of your work and earnings. If you do not qualify for premium-free Part A but had at least 30 quarters of covered employment, the Pan A monthly premium in 1994 is $184. If you had fewer than 30 quarters or no quarters of covered employment the premium is $245 per month in 1994. Part B is optional and is offered to all beneficiaries when they become entitled to Part A. It also may be purchased by most persons age 65 or over who do not qualify for premium-free Part A coverage. The Part B premium, which most Medicare beneficiaries have deducted from their monthly Social Security check, is $41.10 per month in 1994. You are automatically enrolled in Part B when you become entitled to Part A unless you state that you don't want it. Although you do not have to purchase Part B, it is a good buy because the federal government pays about 75 percent of the program costs. Your Medicare card shows the coverage you have [Hospital Insurance (Part A), Medical Insurance (Part B), or both] and the date your coverage started. If you only have one part of Medicare, you can get information about getting the other part from any Social Security office. |
