Medicare Part D

For most people, Medicare Part A provides some peace of mind and many people don’t have to pay a premium, although there are some people that do. There are limitations to Medicare Part A coverage that some people don’t understand until they are faced with a large hospital bill. For the most part, the coverage you can expect under Medicare Part A is limited to a three day or longer stay in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, and critical care unit or hospice situation. Of course, the skilled nursing home coverage has a maximum duration of 100 days and only the first 20 are fully paid, leaving you with additional expense for the remainder of your time.

The other thing is that Medicare Part A covers a semi-private room, meals and your nursing service while in the hospital. It doesn’t cover the doctor and emergency room fees and many of the supplies, services and treatments you receive during your stay and after. Medicare Part B can cover many of these expenses, but there is additional premium involved. Of course, if you are on prescription drugs, you realize how expensive they can be and the Medicare Part D coverage offers some relief, but it also leaves a lot to be desired.

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Under Medicare Part C, you can get a private insurance policy that is PPO or HMO based and it is a combination of Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. There are some of the plans that offer some coverage on prescription drugs, so this can eliminate the need for Medicare Part D, as well. For this reason, those that are concerned with the limitations of Medicare Part A might consider the Medicare Part C or Medicare Advantage plans, as they are also known.

Regardless, Medicare Part A has many limitations, although it is meant to be a major medical hospitalization plan that is offered to everybody that is a US citizen that has turned 65 years old. While it has limitations, Medicare Part A can help you avoid part of the major portion of a hospital stay. For the lower income and those with few assets, Medicaid is a state and federal funded program that can help bridge the gap and maybe help with premiums and deductibles. There are other programs, like Medigap and Medicare supplemental insurance policies are popular to pick up some of the expenses that Medicare Part A doesn’t cover.

Most people need to realize the limitations of Medicare Part A and come up with a plan to cover the gaps in health insurance coverage through some other plans. You can always talk to a Medicare representative, a private insurance carrier that offers Medicare plans and your state Medicaid office can advise you if you qualify or not. You need to understand the limitations of Medicare Part A before you are faced with a major health care issue because after the fact, you might be facing a large medical bill you can’t pay and you may be unable to obtain additional coverage.