What is Medicare?
Medicare is the federally funded health insurance program for individuals age 65 and older, certain disabled individuals under age 65, and individuals of any age who have permanent kidney failure. Medicare Part A provides coverage for hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, home health and hospice care. Part B provides coverage for professional care, outpatient hospital care and other medical services.
Medicare is a federal hospital insurance program for individuals age 65 or older and for some disabled persons. It is funded by a payroll tax on employee wages and is matched by the employer. The current Medicare rate is 1.45% of an employee’s gross wages. The employer and employee each pay this amount.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older. While it is the primary source of publicly funded health care for the elderly, people with permanent kidney failure, as well as certain younger disabled people, are also eligible to receive Medicare benefits. Medicare has two parts: (1) Part A covers inpatient care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, as well as hospice care and some home health care (but not custodial or long-term care); and (2) Part B, covers doctors’ services, outpatient hospital care, and some other services such as physical and occupational therapy and some home health care. Most individuals become eligible for Medicare at age 65. There is no monthly premium for enrollment in Part A, but there is a monthly premium for enrollment in Part B ($66.60 as of 2004). You may enroll in Part A without enrolling in Part B.
Medicare is a federally funded and administered program that provides health insurance for older Americans and those who are disabled and who have contributed to the Social Security system for the requisite number of years. Since Medicare is a Federal program, eligibility guidelines and services are the same all over the country. Medicare will only pay for up to the first 100 days of a Nursing Home stay and only after a three day stay in a hospital, and in most cases it pays for only the first 20 days. Medicare does not pay for on going Long Term Nursing Home Care.
Related Questions
- We submit with another Medicare payer (ie, United Government Services, GHI Medicare) does this migration affect us?
- Why shouldn the government negotiate drug prices for Medicare like the Department of Veterans Affairs does?
- Should smokers be required to carry private health insurance and forfeit medicare/medicaid assistance?
