Getting Ready for Medicare?
To get free personalized counseling on general or specific Medicare questions call Alaska’s Medicare Information Office at 1-800-478-6065 or in Anchorage at 907-269-3680.
What is Medicare?
Medicare is health insurance for the following:
- People 65 or older
- People under 65 with certain disabilities
- People of any age with End-Stage Renal disease (ESRD) (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant)
The Different Parts of Medicare
The different parts of Medicare help cover specific services:
MEDICARE PART A (Hospital Insurance)
- Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals
- Helps cover skilled nursing facility, hospice, and home health care
MEDICARE PART B (Medical Insurance)
- Helps cover doctors' and other health care providers' services, outpatient care, durable medical equipment, and home health care.
- Helps cover some preventive services to help maintain your health and to keep certain illnesses from getting worse
MEDICARE PART C (also known as Medicare Advantage)
Offers health plan options run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies. Medicare Advantage Plans are a way to get the benefits and services covered under Part A and Part B. Most Medicare Advantage Plans cover Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D). Some Medicare Advantage Plans may include extra benefits for an extra cost.
MEDICARE PART D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage)
- Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs
- May help lower your prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs
- Run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies
*Medicare Part C and D plan options and availability vary based on where you live. To compare plans available in your area visit https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan
Everyone’s situation is different!
If you already have health insurance it may affect your options with Medicare and
any other decisions you might need to make. Consider what you might have now and compare.
