Getting started with Medicare
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You’re first eligible to sign up for Medicare 3 months before you turn 65. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
First You need to enroll at the Social Security office near you for Part A and Part B
Part A (Hospital Insurance): Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and home health care.
Part B (Medical Insurance): Helps cover:
Services from doctors and other health care providers
- Outpatient care
- Home health care
- Durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and other equipment)
- Many preventive services (like screenings, shots or vaccines, and yearly “Wellness” visits)
How much does Medicare A & B cost?
Medicare Part A can be $0/month for most people, and Part B has a base premium of $164.90 for 2023.
Avoid penalties, and plan ahead. Call for more information 682-287-6700 – Then you work with a Medicare Specialist to enroll in Part C or a Medicare Supplement and Part D (Prescription Plan)
Call 682-287-6700 to talk to an agent that will help you enroll
Part C (Medicare Advantage): Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare coverage through private health insurance companies approved to participate in the Medicare program. These plans can be HMOs, PPOs, Regional PPOs or Private Fee-for-Service plans.
Medicare Advantage plans provide all Part A and B services while generally including some additional services, such as wellness programs, hearing aids, and vision services. These plans also tend to have lower cost-sharing overall and a maximum that you would have to pay for out-of-pocket costs each calendar year–a feature not available through Original Medicare.
Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap): Extra insurance you can buy from a private company that helps pay your share of costs in Original Medicare. Policies are standardized and in most states named by letters, like Plan G or Plan K. The benefits in each lettered plan are the same, no matter which insurance company sells it.
Part D (Drug coverage): Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs (including many recommended shots or vaccines). You join a Medicare drug plan in addition to Original Medicare, or you get it by joining a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage. Plans that offer Medicare drug coverage are run by private insurance companies that follow rules set by Medicare.
Other ServicesGet a QuoteYour Medicare options
Original Medicare
- Original Medicare includes Part A and Part B.
- You can join a separate Medicare drug plan to get Medicare drug coverage (Part D).
- You can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S.
- To help pay your out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare (like your 20% coinsurance), you can also buy supplemental coverage, like Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), or have coverage from a former employer or union, or Medicaid.
Medicare Advantage (also known as Part C)
- Medicare Advantage is a Medicare-approved plan from a private company that offers an alternative to Original Medicare for your health and drug coverage. These “bundled” plans include Part A, Part B, and usually Part D.
- In most cases, you’ll need to use doctors who are in the plan’s
network - Plans may have lower out-of-pocket costs than Original Medicare.
- Plans may offer some extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover — like vision, hearing, and dental services.