What does original Medicare cover?
The original Medicare covers 4 major areas:
- Part A: this covers most costs of hospitalizations. It also pays all or most of the costs for up to 100 days of extended care in a nursing home or rehab facility after a hospital stay. For most enrollees, no monthly premium cost, but you must pay for some costs for every hospital visit.
- Part B: this covers doctor visits, medical tests and other outpatient services. Most enrollees pay for a monthly premium for this coverage, and there is financial penalty if you don't enroll when you are eligible to enroll.
- Part D: this covers most prescription drug costs. Unlike Part A and B, this benefit is purchased from private insurers, so enrollees need to shop to see which plan fits their needs, healthy situation, and budget.
- Preventive care: with the pass of Affordable Care Act, Medicare now provides enrollees with free preventive care, including mammograms and prostate screenings.
What doesn't original Medicare cover?
There are some major coverage gaps in original Medicare, including:
- Residential nursing home care
- Dental care
- Vision care
- Hearing services
- Cosmetic and other elective surgeries
- Care outside of the U.S.
- 20% (or more) of your health care costs
In next blogpost, we will discuss other costs for original Medicare.