The Different Parts of Medicare

You can get the most from your Medicare benefits by learning what Medicare covers and by taking advantage of all that Medicare has to offer. Medicare has the following parts:

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) helps cover your inpatient care in hospitals. Part A also helps cover skilled nursing facility, hospice, and home health care if you meet certain conditions.  

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) helps cover medically-necessary services like doctors’ services and outpatient care. Part B also helps cover some preventive services to help maintain your health and to keep certain illnesses from getting worse.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) is another way to get your Medicare benefits. It combines Part A, Part B, and, sometimes, Part D (prescription drug) coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans are managed by private insurance companies approved by Medicare (Compare Medicare Plans). These plans must cover medically-necessary services. However, plans can charge different co-payments, coinsurance, or deductibles for these services.

Medicare Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage) helps cover prescription drugs. This coverage may help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future.

Medicare and You 2009- A complete guide of Medicare Benefits.