Medicare is a federal health insurance program that covers individuals aged 65 years and older, people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 or more months, and persons with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is the body that controls Medicare and its regulations. This concept may seem complicated due to the diverse Medicare plans, parts, and coverage rules. So, here is Medicare in its simplified form:

How does Medicare work?
People eligible for Medicare benefits can access them in two ways:
Original Medicare Plan
Medicare Advantage Plan

The original Medicare plan is a traditional fee-for-service coverage scheme that the federal government directly provides to eligible users. On the other hand, Medicare Advantage plans are federal government-approved coverage schemes that private insurers offer. Health insurance policies under either plan must contain certain specified user benefits. Both plans have their positives: The Original plan covers all doctors and hospitals in the country, while some Advantage plans may offer a greater number of benefits, for example, dental care, to users.

Individuals signing up for either plan receive a registration card and a confidential Medicare number. The Medicare Advantage plan users also receive a private plan card from their insurer. Registered individuals need to use this card while seeking insurance services.

Age for Medicare eligibility
As stated earlier, the age for Medicare eligibility is 65 years and older. However, individuals younger than 65 with disabilities and persons with ESRD are also fully eligible to access various Medicare plans.

As soon as an individual turns 65 years old and becomes eligible to receive specific Social Security benefits, they automatically enroll for Medicare Part A and Part B.

What are the components of Medicare?
As implied earlier, Medicare has four parts:

Medicare Part A (Hospital insurance)
Part A covers inpatient hospital care costs, including the money spent on meals, the room in which the patient stays, nursing care, and other related hospital services. Nearly all Medicare-eligible users qualify for coverage in this part. However, before the expense coverage of Part A, users will need to pay the deductible of $1,556 (as of 2022).

Part A is mostly premium-free. However, if users or their spouses have not worked for 10 years, meaning that they have not paid Medicare taxes to cover part A’s expenses, they can purchase the coverage for either $274 or $499 per month ($278 or $506 in 2023), based on how long the given user or their spouse has worked. If users do not pay for this part when they become eligible, they may need to pay the penalty later. Under Part A, users are responsible for copayments, depending on the duration of their stay in the hospital.

All Medicare plans’ rates are dynamic. They generally change on a yearly basis.

Medicare Part B (Medical insurance)
The second part of Medicare covers the costs of clinic/doctor visits, durable medical equipment, diagnostic tests, preventive screenings, and other similar services. Unlike Part A, this part does involve a monthly premium payment of $170.10 ($164.90 in 2023). This charge increases with the respective income amounts users make.

For certain cases, for example, if a person has health insurance coverage through their employer, eligible users can delay enrolling themselves for Part B. However, users may need to pay more if they do not enroll when they first become eligible. As per Part B rules, users need to pay an annual deductible of $233 ($226 in 2023) as well as 20% of medical supplies and services costs.

As implied earlier, the private-based Medicare Advantage occasionally offers more varied services than the Original Medicare plans. Some of the expenses not covered by an Original plan are:

Denture costs
Cosmetic surgery expenses
Routine foot care costs
Healthcare costs incurred outside the country
Routine dental care expenses
Long-term care expenses (for bathing or dressing services)
Hearing aid expenses
Hearing aid examination charges
Eye examination charges before purchasing glasses

Medicare Part C (Medicare advantage)
Part C is the Medicare-approved health insurance plan offered by a private insurer. Although the coverage types are largely similar between Medicare Advantage and Parts A and B, users will need to go through specific insurers to access insurance services.

In Part C, certain premiums, deductibles, and copayments change from one plan to another. Unlike Original Medicare, this plan limits how much users will need to pay out-of-pocket. Once this limit is reached, the plan covers 100% of the covered costs of users. Users cannot enroll themselves for both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.

Medicare Part D (Prescription treatment)
This part covers the cost of prescription-based products on the basis of specific price levels. So, the higher the level, the more expensive the product will be. While several Medicare Advantage plans provide coverage for part D, those with an Original Medicare plan will need to pay for it separately. Like with part B, users will need to pay more if they do not sign up for it when they are first eligible.

What are the Medicare plans rates?
In Part A, the deductible amount of $1,556 must be paid every time one is admitted to the hospital for each benefit period, after which Original Medicare starts to cover costs. For inpatient stays, the Medicare plans rates are: Free for the first 60 days after the Part A deductible is paid, $389 each day for days 61-90 in the hospital, and $778 for days 91-150. After 150 days, users will bear the complete inpatient costs.

Which are the best Medicare coverage providers?
Here are some of the most popular and reliable Medicare insurers:

Aetna Medicare Plans
The Aetna Medicare plan is one of the best options as it offers coverage in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Aetna Medicare plans provider simplifies the process of buying coverage. Physician copayments start as low as $35 in these plans. Additionally, users can get benefits such as a 24-hour nurse line, prescription home delivery, and SilverSneakers fitness membership, among others.

UnitedHealthcare Plans
One of the few insurers offering coverage for all 50 states, UnitedHealthcare offers a range of additional benefit covers, including vision, dental care, and lifestyle-related expenses.