Hospital Insurance is Part A and Medical Insurance is Part B.

Annual enrollment occurs every November 15th thru December 31st. It allows you to switch plans, or sign up for additional medicare coverage if you waived the additional coverage when you started your medicare benefits.

The Original Medicare Plan does not cover most prescription drugs. Medicare covers a limited number of outpatient prescription drugs under Part B. Your pharmacy or doctor must accept assignment on Medicare-covered prescription drugs.

Medicare offers prescription drug coverage (also called Part D) for everyone with Medicare through Medicare drug plans. This coverage may help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future. For more information on Medicare prescription drug coverage, please visit the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder at the Medicare.gov web site.

A plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide you with all your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans are HMOs, PPOs, or Private Fee-for-Service Plans. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare services are covered through the plans, and are not paid for under Original Medicare.

If you cannot afford to pay your Medicare premiums and other medical costs, you may be able to get help from your state. States offer programs for people who are entitled to Medicare and have low income. The programs may pay some or all of Medicare’s premiums and also may pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. To qualify, you must have Part A (hospital insurance), a limited income, and, in most states, your resources, such as bank accounts, stocks and bonds, must not be more than $4,000 for a single person or $6,000 for a couple.

A stand-alone drug plan, offered by insurers and other private companies to beneficiaries that receive their Medicare Part A and/or B benefits through the Original Medicare Plan.

If you are still working and signed up for health insurance through your employer, contact your HR department. If you are not receiving health benefits from your employer, your first step would be to enroll into a medicare plan.

You do not need an agent to sign up for additional medicare coverages. However, medicare plans, policies, and coverages change each year. An agent is required by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) to do testing each and every year. Also, there is no added cost to you, for having an agent.

Open enrollment begins on January 1st and ends on March 31st. Open enrollement allows you to switch from like to like plans only. For instance, if you have a Part D prescription drug plan, you cannot switch to a medicare advantage plan.