Medicare Health program Essays

Medicare Health program Essays Medicare Health program Paper Medicare Health program Paper One might ask what is Medicare? Well, Medicare is our countrys 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 most long-term care. You can choose one of two ways to get benefits under Medicare: the traditional fee-for-service system or the managed care program. The Health Care Financing Administration is the agency in charge of the Medicare program. There are two parts of Medicare. Hospital Insurance (also called Part A Medicare. ) Part A Medicare is financed by a portion of your payroll (FICA) tax that also pays for Social Security. The second part of Medicare is Medical Insurance (also called Part B Medicare. ) Part B Medicare is partly financed by monthly premiums paid by people who choose to enroll. People are automatically enrolled in Part B when you become entitled to Part A. However, because they must pay a monthly premium for Part B coverage, and have the option of paying for the coverage or turning it down. Each part of Medicare covers different kinds of medical costs and has different rules about enrolling. In order to be eligible for Medicare, one has to meet certain regulations. Most people 65 or older can get Medicare hospital insurance based on their own or their spouses employment. One is eligible at 65 if you either receive Social Security or railroad retirement benefits. If they are not involved with either of these, but you have worked long enough to have them they may receive them. People are also eligible if you would be entitled to Social Security benefits based on their spouses or divorced spouses work record. 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. Kidney failure patients have special rules too. Under these rules, sufferers are eligible for hospital insurance at any age if they receive maintenance dialysis or a kidney transplant and are insured, or are getting monthly benefits under Social Security or the railroad retirement system. Also, if they have worked long enough in government to be insured for Medicare. In addition, spouses or children may be eligible if she or he receives continuing dialysis for permanent kidney failure or had a kidney transplant, even if no one else in the family is getting Medicare.