Medicare Basics

Most Americans join Medicare when they turn 65, but it’s also available to younger people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.

What Is Medicare?

Medicare is a national health insurance program administered by the federal government. It is not part of the health insurance marketplace. Medicare is made up of four parts. Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare Part B (medical insurance) are considered Original Medicare. Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage plans) and Medicare Part D (prescription drug plans) are offered by insurance companies and private companies that contract with Medicare.

Original Medicare

Offered by the Federal Government

Part A – Hospital Insurance

Part A helps pay for:

• Inpatient hospital care
• Skilled nursing facility care after a hospital stay
• Some home health care and hospice services
  

Part B – Medical Insurance

Part B helps pay for:

• Doctor's office visits and services
• Most outpatient care
• Home health care
• Durable medical equipment
• Many preventive services

You can select to purchase more Medicare coverage offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.

More Medicare Coverage

Additional Medicare Coverage Offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

You can also choose to enroll in:

Part C – Medicare Advantage Plans

Part C combines what’s covered by Part A and Part B and adds benefits, often including prescription drug coverage (Part D)

Part C always covers you for all benefits included in Parts A and B.

• Dental, hearing and/or vision services
• Health, wellness and fitness programs

Part C plans may also include:

• Options that may or may not include prescription drug coverage
• Provider networks to help manage costs
• A Part B Premium Buy-down benefit that reduces the Medicare Part B premium that you pay to the Social Security Administration
• A preloaded flexible spending card to help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses for covered dental, vision, and hearing services

If you enroll in a Blue Cross Medicare Advantage SM plan, you cannot also enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan.

Or, you can choose to enroll in:

Part D – Prescription Drug Coverage

Part D helps cover costs of prescription drugs with copays or coinsurance.

Or, you can choose to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan on its own or paired with a Part D plan:

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans

• Coinsurance
• Copays
• Deductibles

Help Me Choose a Plan

Useful Tools

Last Updated: Sept. 11, 2023

This Information is a solicitation for insurance.

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan Notice:
Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or Federal Medicare Program.

Medicare Supplement plans provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, which refers to Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company (HCSC), and refers to HCSC Insurance Services Company (HISC). HCSC and HISC are Independent Licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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