How many parts of Medicare are there?

October 9, 2023
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1-minute read

You might be wondering, “How many parts of Medicare are there?” Medicare is actually made up of four parts: A, B, C, and D. Here’s a quick overview of what these Medicare parts cover.

Medicare Part A is hospital insurance (e.g., inpatient careinpatient careHealth care that you get when you're admitted as an inpatient to a health care facility.
Read more », skilled nursing facility careskilled nursing facility careSkilled nursing care and rehabilitation services provided on a continuous, daily basis in a skilled nursing facility.
Read more », home health carehome health careHealth care services a person receives at home.
Read more », and hospice carehospice careServices to provide comfort and support for persons in the last stages of a terminal illness and their families.
Read more »).

Medicare Part B is medical insurance (e.g., medically necessarymedically necessaryHealth care services or supplies needed to diagnose or treat an illness, injury, condition, disease or its symptoms.
Read more » care to diagnose or treat medical conditions, preventive servicespreventive servicesRoutine health care to prevent illnesses, disease, or other health problems.
Read more » to prevent illnesses, ambulance servicesambulance servicesAmbulance services are nonemergency and emergency patient transports.
Read more », and durable medical equipmentdurable medical equipmentEquipment and supplies ordered by a health care provider for everyday or extended use.
Read more »).

Medicare Part C is also known as Medicare Advantage. It includes Parts A and B, which are the hospital insurance and medical insurance portions of Medicare coverage. Most Medicare Advantage plans also have prescription drug, visionvisionA health benefit that at least partially covers vision care, like eye exams and glasses.
Read more », and dental coverage.

Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage (e.g., brand-name and generic prescription medications).

For more complete details on the parts of Medicare, view Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D.

Want to explore your Medicare options and see what plans work for your needs and budget? Compare plans with HealthMarkets today.

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