Medicare Alabama, Alabama Medicare

Alabama Medicare is health insurance program which covers mostly your health care costs run by Federal government.

Original Medicare compensates the payment for visit to any hospital, clinic or health care provider accepting Medicare services.

Original Medicare is the first Medicare you get when you get Medicare services.

According to your needs you can then get other Medicare Insurance Supplements or Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) or Medicare Prescription Drugs Coverage (Part D).

These additional health insurance services can be availed at the time you start Medicare services (Part A & Part B).

Medical Supplementary insurance is offered by many private insurance companies in Alabama.

If you avail Medicare supplementary insurance services it will help to lower your expenses of copayments, coinsurance and deductibles.

Eligibility for Medicare

1) Citizens of age 65 and above.

2) Some young below 65 years of age suffering from certain disabilities.

3) People of any age who are suffering from End Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure).

Parts of Medicare

Original Medicare consists of Part A and Part B

Medicare Part A

Covers inpatient care in hospitals
Covers skilled nursing facility, hospice and home health care

Medicare Part B

Covers doctor’s services and outpatient care
Covers some preventive services to maintain your health

Medicare Part C

Health coverage Plan approved by Medicare given by private insurance companies
Includes Part A and Part B and also other services like Part D

Medicare Part D

Prescription drug coverage approved by Medicare given by private insurance companies
Covers the cost of prescription drugs
Lowers your prescription drug cost by sharing the cost

Cost

Medicare Part A is premium free health care insurance to all those people of age 65 or above already receiving Social security benefits. When you attain 65 years of age you automatically get Medicare Part A and Part B services.

People suffering from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) which is also called Lou Gehrig’s disease automatically get Part A and Part B

Medicare Part B can be joined by paying monthly premiums. The premium for Part B may be standard for every month. Social security will inform you if you have to pay excess amount than the monthly standard premium.

You must sign up for Part B as soon as you are eligible otherwise a late enrollment fee is charged by the Medicare insurance company.

If you are covered by Medicare Advantage Plan like a HMO or PPO or supplement insurance (Medigap policy), the cost may differ.

You pay for Copayments, coinsurance and deductibles which may apply on each of the above services

It may cost less or may not cost you for the Medicare services, if the doctor, supplier or the provider has signed an agreement with the Medicare services to accept the approve amount by Medicare as fees towards the services. This type of agreement is called an Assignment.

Change in coverage and cost

The coverage and cost of Medicare plans change every year. Your Medicare or Medigap or Part D plans can change its cost and coverage services in health care each year.

You can switch to any of these plans as required according to your health needs and prescriptions in falls every year.

Initial Enrollment period

You can avail the enrollment for Part B anytime in seven month period. This seven month period starts three months before you are 65 and ends three months after the month you complete 65 years of age.

Before 65 years 3 months

Before 65 years 2 months

Before 65 years 1 month

Month in which you complete 65 years

After 65 years 1 month

After 65 years 2 months

After 65 years 3 months

By signing in this period you can get benefits or coverage of Medicare Part B from your month in which you turn 65

By signing in this month your Part B start date will be delayed

By signing in months after you turn 65,your date to get Part B benefits will be delayed

Medicare does not cover the following

1) Long term care