Table 1 - Medicare Enrollment / Trends

Total Persons Aged Persons Disabled Persons

One might ask what is Medicare? Well, Medicare is our country's health insurance program for people age 65 or older, certain people with disabilities who are under 65, and people of any age who have permanent kidney failure. It provides basic protection against the cost of health care, but it does not cover all your medical expenses or the cost of

in a row, and goes back in, a new benefit period begins, the 90 days of coverage starts all over again and another deductible is charged. If one needs more than 90 days of inpatient care during any benefit period, they can use some or all of their reserve days. Reserve days are an extra 60 hospital days you can use if your illness keeps the patient in the hospital for more than 90 days. You have only 60 reserve days in your lifetime, and you decide when you want to use them. For each reserve day you use, hospital insurance pays for all covered services except for a daily coinsurance amount. Inpatient skilled nursing or rehabilitation services are available after a hospital stay if certain other conditions are met, hospital insurance helps pay for up to 100 days in a Medicare-participating skilled nursing facility in each benefit period. Hospital insurance pays for all covered services for the first 20 days. For the next 80 days, it pays for all covered services except fo!

As I have explained, Medicare hospital insurance is free, but you pay a monthly premium for medical insurance. If you already have other health insurance when you become eligible for Medicare, is it worth the monthly premium cost to sign up for Medicare medical insurance?

Medicare does not cover some things. Medicare provides basic health care coverage, but it does not pay all of your medical expenses. Medicare does not pay for custodial care, most nursing home care, dental care, routine checkups, shots, drugs, podiatry, and international care. Custodial care is care that could be given safely, reasonably by a person who is not medically skilled, and that is given mainly to help the patient with daily living. Examples include help with walking, bathing, and dressing. Even if you are in a participating hospital or skilled nursing facility or you are getting care from a participating home health agency, Medicare does not cover the cost of care if it is mainly custodial.

Sharp, Ansel M., Charles A. Register, and Paul W. Grimes. Economics of Social Issues. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1988.

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Before age 65, persons eligible for Medicare hospital insurance are if they have been a Social Security disability beneficiary for 24 months. Also eligible if they have worked long enough in a federal, state, or local government job and you meet the requirements of the Social Security disability program. Under certain conditions, spouses, divorced spouses, widows, widowers, or a dependent parents may be eligible for hospital insurance when he or she turns 65, based on work records. Also, disabled widows and widowers under age 65, disabled divorced widows and widowers under 65, and disabled children may be eligible for Medicare, usually after a 24-month qualifying period.

Table 2 - Medicare Enrollment/Demographics

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Approximate Word count = 2258
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