Medicare Basics
Medicare has four parts, two main ways to cover the gaps, a set of important deadlines, and a mailbox full of marketing materials. I help you sort through it.
What Medicare covers
Original Medicare comes in two parts. Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing, and hospice. Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, lab work, and equipment. Together they cover a lot, but not everything, and there's no cap on what you'd pay out of pocket.
Part D covers prescriptions. It's separate from A and B.
Part C isn't extra coverage. It's another way to receive your Part A and B benefits, through a private plan. That's what people mean by Medicare Advantage.
Covering that gap is the next decision.
Two ways to fill the gap
Medicare Advantage Plans
Private plans that deliver your Part A and B coverage, usually bundled with prescription coverage. They typically work within a network of doctors and hospitals, and they often include extras Original Medicare doesn't. What they cost and cover varies by plan and by where you live.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans
These sit alongside Original Medicare and pick up costs it leaves behind, like deductibles and coinsurance. You keep any doctor who accepts Medicare, with no network. Prescriptions are handled separately through Part D.
More on Medicare Supplement plans
When to enroll
Whether you need to enroll at 65 depends on whether you're working and what coverage you already have. Some Medicare windows open once and don't reopen.
Vincent Oriolo
Founder · Licensed Broker
Built different. Because most of the industry isn't.
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