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 kidney transplant).

Part A Hospital Insurance - is paid for by a portion of Social Security tax. It helps pay for Inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, hospice care and other services.

Part B - is paid for by the monthly premiums of people enrolled and by general funds from the U.S. Treasury. It 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 allows 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 both Parts A and B to enroll in Part C.

Part D (prescription drug coverage) - is voluntary and the costs are paid for by the monthly premiums of enrollees and Medicare. 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

Find additional information on the national Medicare Web Site.