Running Header: PARTS OF MEDICARE 1
Medicare is a federal insurance program aimedat covering the medical expenses of older patients with 65 years andabove, persons with disabilities and people with end stage renaldisease (CMMS, 2007).Medicare has four parts. Part A, B, C and partD. these parts cover hospital insurance, medical insurance, Medicareadvantage plans and prescription drug coverage respectively. Medicareinsurance first came into existence on July 30 1965, when the thenpresident, Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare act into law (CMMS,2002).
Part A and part B took effect by 1966 with over19 million people in the United States signing up. First coverage wasfor patients over 65 years but coverage was expanded in 1972 byPresident Nixon to cover the other groups. During the 1990s parts Cand D were reviewed to include private outsourcing of care throughMedicare advantage plans and prescription drug coverage. In 2003,part D was further reviewed under President Bush who signed MedicarePrescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act into law, thusincreasing the number of beneficiaries under this plan.
The various parts of Medicare offer differentcoverage options. Part A of Medicare offers hospital insurance whichincludes hospitals, hospices, skilled nursing centers and home healthfacilities (CMMS, 2007). No premiums are paid to be eligible sincethe beneficiary or spouse had paid payroll taxes while working. PartB of Medicare offers medical insurance which includes preventive careservices, doctor’s services, medical equipment, outpatientservices, lab tests, home health, imaging tests, mental healthservices and ambulance services. Monthly premiums are required forpart B and covers above services when they become medicallynecessary.
Part C of Medicare offers Medicare advantageplans, that is, privately contracted institutions by Medicare thatoffer Parts A and B to patients such as Health MaintenanceOrganizations and Special Needs Plans among others (Medicare.gov,2016).Part D of Medicare offers prescription drugs coverage for allthe other parts of Medicare. The plan cushion patients from highprescription drug costs. Monthly premiums are also required to beeligible for plans C and D.
In conclusion, Medicare offers insurance planto the vulnerable members of the society, that is, the elderly,disabled and renal failure patients (Medicare.gov, 2016).The programbegan in 1965 and it has four parts which cover patientsholistically. Qualifications for each cover plan depend on premiumpayments and meeting the age and health criteria for cover. Theseplans cushion patients from unpredictable health outcomes which maybe expensive and debilitating.
References
Centers forMedicare & Medicaid Services. (2007). Medicare& You 2007.Diane Publishing.
Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services. (2002). History of Medicare andMedicaid. UpdatedMarch, 6,2002.
Medicare.gov. (2016). Whatis Medicare? Retrieved from,https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/decide-how-to-get-medicare/whats-medicare/what-is-medicare.html>31 May, 2016