Medicare Part A Coverage Essential Details

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By Larry Olson


Medicare is a social insurance program which the US federal government administers using different private insurance companies across the country. This is funded by general revenue, surtaxes from beneficiaries, premiums and payroll tax. Those who qualify for this are Americans 65 years old or older and those with certain disabilities.

Medicare has four parts with each one covering specific services that you can use which depends on the medical needs you have. First one is Medicare part A coverage which covers the services in limited home health, skilled nursing facility, hospital and hospice care. Here are some basic information about this coverage that you must know.

Hospital care means that the beneficiary will receive hospital expense coverage that are essential to them being an inpatient. This includes semi private room, nursing service, medications, meals and other services and supplies from the hospital. This does not include the cost for private room unless it is medically necessary and other extra charges.

Home health care is for those advised in staying at home medically and are not allowed to leave without assistance from transportation, another person or special equipment. Examples of covered services includes occupational and physical therapy. The doctor might order durable medical equipment to be used at home though this would be under part B.

The stay at the skilled nursing facility would be covered only if the stay at the hospital was at least for three days and the day of being discharged is not counted. This coverage includes dietary counseling, meals, medications, nursing service, semi private room, medical equipment and supplies. Your need of staying at the facility because of the needed care being unable to be received when at home.

Hospice coverage are for those that have terminal illness with less than six months left to live as certified by a doctor. The focus here is to relieve pain and make you comfortable instead of curing the disease you have. You must agree to abandon curative treatment for your terminal illness but instead will just receive palliative treatment.

The services include doctor, nursing, social, and hospice aide plus medical supplies and equipment, dietary counseling and pain relief medications. There may also be some cost that are not usually covered when in hospice such as grief and spiritual counseling. You can stop anytime to be under hospice care if you plan to return to curative treatments.

You are usually automatically enrolled when already receiving the Social Security retirement or Railroad Retirement Board benefits when turning 65. First day of the birth month is when the benefits start unless born on its first day then instead it would start one month before it. The Medicare card will be given three months before turning 65.

If ever you are not qualified for enrollment automatically then you must manually do so during the period provided which is seven months. This includes your birth month and the three months before and the three months after it. Failing to enroll during this period may have to pay a penalty and should wait for the general enrollment period.




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