Customized Medicare based your specific needs

The answer to this may be easy to say and maybe not as easy to do. You need to understand your personal needs and choose Medicare coverage to help meet them.

Your costs will depend on the type of coverage you choose. You will likely pay the Part B premium to Medicare. Beyond that, you may pay other premiums, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance. The total amount will depend on the Medicare coverage you choose and the health care services you use.

Many people enroll in just Part A when they turn 65 and have employer coverage. Generally, Part A is premium free if you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. You may be able to delay enrolling in Part B without penalty if your employer provides creditable coverage.

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover routine dental or vision care, however, some private Medicare Advantage plans do. Plans include all the coverage provided by Parts A and B, and often additional benefits, all in one plan.

Medicare supplement insurance is also known as Medigap. It’s private insurance you can buy to help pay for some costs not paid by original Medicare (Parts A and B). Medicare Advantage is an alternative to Original Medicare. It’s a different way to get your Medicare benefits.

A Medicare Advantage HMO plan usually helps pay only for care you receive from providers in the plan network. A PPO plan will generally help pay for care received outside the plan network, but it may pay less than for the same care received within the network.

Financial assistance programs for people with limited income and assets include Extra Help for prescription drugs, the Medicare Savings Program and Medicaid, to name a few. Qualifications for each program and the level of help offered vary.

Your Medicare coverage choices will stay in place year after year unless you make a change. This ensures that your coverage continues, but plan benefits and costs may change. It’s a good idea to review your Medicare choices every year during Medicare Open Enrollment, Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, to make sure you have the Medicare coverage that fits your needs.

Medicare and Medicaid are both government health care programs but they are very different. Medicare is generally for people who are older or disabled. Medicaid is for people with limited income and resources.

In general, you are eligible for Medicare after receiving Social Security disability benefits for 24 months. There are exceptions for people with certain medical conditions.