Understanding your health insurance is important. It enables you to make the most out of your coverage and to quickly identify your out-of-pocket costs. However, developing this understanding can be challenging for Medicare plans like Medicare Part A.
If you’re a bit confused about Medicare Part A, you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find the most important information that you need to know about this coverage and what you can do to learn more about it.
In order to qualify for Medicare Part A, you just need to meet a few basic benchmarks. First, you have to be at least 65 years old. You also need to be either a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States.
Some people can also qualify for Part A coverage at no cost. In order to do this, you need to also satisfy the minimum age requirement of 65. However, you also have to be eligible to receive benefits from either Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).
The answer to this question depends on whether you’re eligible for premium-free Part A coverage or not. In order to qualify, you need to receive retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railboard Retirement Board or be a Medicare-covered government employee. If you meet one of these conditions, then you don’t have to pay anything for Part A.
If you don’t qualify for premium-free Part A coverage, you can buy into the plan. This costs either $252 or $458 each month, depending on how long you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes.
Medicare Part A can cover a lot. Generally speaking, you can expect this plan to help cover the costs of:
A benefit period is a length of time that begins the day you go into a hospital or skilled nursing facility. It ends after you’ve been out of that treatment center for 60 days in a row. Benefit periods are important to be aware of because of how they affect your deductibles.
Essentially, you’re going to be charged another deductible every time that a new benefit period starts. That means that ideally, you’d want to solve a medical issue that resulted in hospitalization without having to revisit the hospital more than 60 days after your initial discharge.
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The sections above cover only the broad strokes of Medicare Part A. Ultimately, the plan is too detailed and complex to describe completely in a single article. If you have additional questions about Medicare Part A, then consider reaching out to a partnered licensed agent through Time for 65.
Time for 65’s partnered licensed agents are Medicare experts who have studied the ins and outs of Medicare Part A so you don’t have to. They can answer the specific questions that you have about the coverage in a way that is personalized to meet your needs.
Getting in contact with an agent is easy. You can do so today by either filling out this form or giving us a call. We hope to hear from you soon.
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