Medicare is made up of different parts that each give a different type of health coverage, so it's important to know what type of coverage your loved one has. 

There are two main ways to get Medicare coverage: Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and Medicare Advantage (Part C).

Learn the Parts of Medicare

• Part A (Hospital Insurance): Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and home health care. 

• Part B (Medical Insurance): Covers services like certain doctor visits, outpatient care, medical equipment like wheelchairs, and preventive services like flu shots.

• Part C (Medicare Advantage): Medicare-approved plan from a private company that offers an alternative to Original Medicare for health and drug coverage. These "bundled" plans include Part A, Part B, and usually Part D.

• Part D (Medicare drug coverage): Plans that offer Medicare drug coverage that are run by private insurance companies. To get drug coverage, your loved one can join either a Medicare drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage. 

Knowing what type of Medicare coverage your loved one has is especially important leading up to the annual Open Enrollment period (October 15 – December 7). Each year during that timeframe, your loved one can switch their coverage type or plan based on their needs.

Sincerely,

The Medicare Team

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