Medicare

Part of President Johnson’s Great Society Programs that aimed to cure growing social ills, Medicare is the country’s national health insurance program for people 65 or older and people under 65 who are receiving Social Security disability benefits.

It was introduced as the 1965 Medicare Amendment to the Social Security Act: Hospital (Part A) and Medical (Part B) care, now called Original Medicare.
The program helps with the cost of healthcare, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage.

If you choose to have original Medicare coverage, you can buy a Medicare supplement policy (also known as Medigap) from a private insurance company to cover some of the costs that Medicare does not. In addition, Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage) helps cover the cost of prescription drugs for people with Medicare Parts A and B.

Or, you can choose to replace Original Medicare with a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) and receive all your health care services and prescription coverage through a private insurance company approved by Medicare to provide this coverage.