Compare Medicare Options

Original Medicare consists of Medicare Part A and Part B. Part A provides hospital insurance and covers costs such as skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, etc. Part B offers medical insurance and covers outpatient hospital costs such as preventive screenings, ER visits, ambulance rides, etc. If you have Original Medicare, you can purchase other insurance plans such as Part D or a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan. 

Part A and Part B plans allow you to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare coverage anywhere in the United States. Also, there is no need to get a referral for specialist visits, though the specialist must be Medicare-approved. A key difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage is prescription drug coverage. Original Medicare does not cover most drugs and you’ll need to enroll in Part D to get coverage for prescription medications. 

Before you enroll in a Part D plan, you will need to compare plans to ensure that the prescriptions you take will be covered by the plan. For the most part, though, Medicare Part D will cover most, if not all, of the drugs listed in these categories: immunosuppressants, anticancer, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and HIV/AIDS drugs.

You can also purchase a Medigap plan to get coverage for out-of-pocket costs such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. These are the costs that are left behind once Original Medicare covers its share. There are ten Medigap plans to choose from, which include Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Each plan has a varying level of coverage. For example, Plans A and B offer the most basic coverage, while Plans C, F, G, and even N provide more comprehensive coverage.