Original Medicare covers two areas of your health care separately: Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). Part D is optional and includes prescription drug coverage.
Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and some home health care.
Part B covers certain doctors’ services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive services.
Part D adds prescription drug coverage.
Medicare Advantage Plans are classified as Part C. These plans combine Original Medicare Parts A and B and offer additional benefits, all under one card. Most advantage plans also include Part D coverage. Advantage plans give you more coverage than Original Medicare alone.
What kind of care do you need? Not every medical issue needs emergency care. If you have a medical issue that doesn’t seem to be life-threatening, but you’re not sure what to do, you can call our Nurse Advice Line for help. They can help you decide if you should see a primary or urgent care doctor. The Nurse Advice Line is free and available 24/7 for members at 1-866-418-2920 (TTY Relay: 7-1-1).
