Q & A
I thought there were just two parts to Medicare, but my mom said there are more. How many parts to Medicare are there?
Answer: There are four parts to Medicare:
• Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, hospice care and other services;
• Part B (doctor insurance) helps pay for doctors’ fees, outpatient hospital visits and other medical services and supplies that are not covered by Part A;
• Part C (Medicare Advantage) plans, available in some areas, allow you to choose to receive all of your health care services through a provider organization. These plans may help lower your costs of receiving medical services, or you may get extra benefits for an additional monthly fee. You must have Part A and Part B to enroll in Part C; and
• Part D (prescription drug coverage) is voluntary and helps cover the costs of prescription medications. Unlike Part B in which you are automatically enrolled and must opt out if you do not want it, with Part D you have to opt in by filling out a form and enrolling in an approved plan.
Learn more about Medicare by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Select the “Medicare” topic.
Source: Brainerd Dispatch - May 12, 2014
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