Medicare is a federal program that helps people with health care costs. Medicare benefits are available to most American citizens who are 65 years of age or older and to people who have a disability. Medicare works in the same way as a health insurance policy does, and you have to pay monthly premiums for its benefits, excepting Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) in some cases.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare coverage starts at age 65 or older for most citizens. If you have a disability and you are receiving Social Security Disability benefits, and you are younger than 65 years of age, you also qualify to receive Medicare benefits. People who have worked and paid Medicare taxes are eligible to receive Medicare Part A coverage for free when they become eligible to enroll. If you have not worked and paid Medicare tax, you may still qualify to receive benefits based on your spouse's work. However, Medicare coverage is personal. You must enroll for benefits in addition to your spouse's benefits. Each of you receives a personal Medicare card.
Medicare Part A
If you or your spouse have paid Medicare tax, you are both eligible to enroll in Medicare and are entitled to receive free Medicare Part A benefits. If this is the case, enrollment in Medicare Part A is not voluntary. Your Medicare Part A benefits start on the first day of the month in which you turn 65 years of age. If your birthday is on the first day of the month, your benefits actually start on the first day of the month before your birthday. If neither you nor your spouse have worked and paid Medicare tax, you can enroll in Medicare Part A and pay monthly premiums for its coverage when you turn 65 years of age.
Medicare Part B, Part C and Part D
Enrollment in Medicare Part B, Part C and Part D is voluntary. Unlike Medicare Part A, you do need to pay monthly premiums for other Medicare coverage. If you need coverage in addition to hospital insurance, which is Part A, you may consider enrolling in other parts of Medicare. However, as with Medicare Part A, other parts of Medicare are not a family benefit, and enrollment is personal. So even though you qualified to enroll in Medicare based on your spouse's work, you must enroll in each plan by yourself. This gives you the opportunity to choose the plans that fit your needs best instead of having to go along with your spouse's choices.
Medicare Plans and Penalties
Medicare Part B provides medical insurance coverage. Medicare Part C offers different plans that include Part A and Part B coverage plus additional coverage, usually providing more treatments, such as vision and dental. Part D offers a plan that helps you with prescription drug costs. If you do not sign up for Medicare Part B or Part D when you become eligible to do so, the Social Security office charges you a late enrollment penalty when you do enroll.
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