Medicare Information - Guide to Medicare

Welcome to the Medicare Information page. This site offers you information and links pertaining to your benefits under the federal Medicare program. Explore the links provided to determine your eligibility and which aspects of the Medicare program will benefit you the most. If getting financial help for health care and prescription drugs is a problem for you due to debt or poor credit, the Medicare program may be appropriate for you or your family. Check your free instant credit report and credit score.

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 transplant)

Medicare Plan Part C (Medicare Advantage)

Medicare Plan Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Plan)

Who Is Eligible for Medicare?
Generally, you are eligible for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment and you are 65 years or older and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. If you are not yet 65, you may also qualify for coverage if you have a disability or with End-Stage Renal disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant). Listed below are some simple guidelines.

You can get Medicare Part A at age 65 without having to pay premiums if you already get retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, you are eligible to get Social Security or Railroad benefits but haven't yet filed for them, you or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment, or if you are under 65, you can get Part A without having to pay premiums and you have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months or you have End-Stage Renal Disease and meet certain requirements.

While you don't have to pay a premium for Part A if you meet one of those conditions, you must pay for Part B if you want it. The Medicare Part B monthly premium in 2008 was $96.40. (Note: The Part B premium may be higher if your income is above a certain amount). The premium is deducted from your Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement check. If you don't get any of the above payments, Medicare sends you a bill for your Part B premium every 3 months. You will be eligible for Medicare when you turn 65 even if you are not eligible for Social Security retirement benefits. Medicare Part B will cover a one-time initial preventive physical exam.

Enrollment Overview:
Utilize the Welcome to My Medicare Enrollment section of the government web site. It is full of important information. This section of the site is designed to provide you with information about your Medicare eligibility and enrollment. You will be asked to answer a series of questions. The number of questions, as well as the questions themselves will be dynamic based on your answers. Once they have collected enough information, they will display detailed information tailored to your specific situation. Please note that Social Security will make the final decision on your eligibility and enrollment status. If you are not a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien who has lived in the U.S. continuously for a five-year period, please contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 for your Medicare enrollment and eligibility.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administers Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's heath Insurance Program (SCHIP). The Social Security Administration is responsible for determining Medicare eligibility and processing premium payments for the Medicare program.

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You can choose different ways to get the services covered by Medicare. Depending on where you live, you may have different choices. In most cases, when you first get Medicare, you are in the Original Medicare Plan. You may want to consider a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) to add drug coverage. Or, you may want to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that provides all your Part A, Part B, and often Part D coverage. You can make a choice when you are first eligible for Medicare. Each year you can review your health and prescription needs and switch to a different plan in the fall.

As long as you have both Part A and Part B, items covered by Part A and Part B are covered whether you have the Original Medicare Plan, or you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO).

Medicare Plan Part A (Hospital Insurance)

Medicare Plan Part B (Medical Insurance)