Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, under age 65 with certain disabilities, and any age with permanent kidney failure (called “End-Stage Renal Disease”). You must have entered the United States lawfully and have lived here for 5 years to be eligible for Medicare.
There are multiple parts to medicare:
Medicare Part A which is the hospital insurance side. Medicare Part A helps pay for inpatient care that you get in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or hospice, and sometimes home health care if you meet certain conditions.
You pay for Medicare Part A over your working lifetime. Part of the taxes that they take out of your check pays for the Part A when you qualify. This is why you do not have to pay a premium once you qualify for Part A, it is paid while you work.
Medicare Part B is the medical insurance that helps pay for doctors services and other outpatient care.
Once you qualify for and activate Medicare Part B you start paying the monthly premium at that time. The minimum monthly premium is $96.40 and may increase based on your income.
Original Medicare
Original Medicare is managed by the federal government and provides the Part A and Part B. It is important to know that Medicare does not cover 100% of all your medical expenses and there are many options to help cover those gaps including: Medicare Supplements, Medicare Part D prescription plans and Medicare Advantage plans.
Due to the wide range of products available to help cover the gaps, Please give us a call (816-254-6100) so we may help you sort through all the junk mail and information available so you can have the right information to pick the perfect plan.
You are the one that has to live with the plan, so you are the one that needs to decide what you feel most comfortable with.
For more information click the products tab at the top of the page and access our medicare section for additional information.
