Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD). Medicare is divided into four parts:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance)
• Part B (Medical Insurance)
• Part C (Medicare Advantage)
• Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage)

Part A is free for people who have worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. Part B has a monthly premium, which is usually deducted from your Social Security check. Part C is offered by private insurance companies and combines Parts A and B, and may include prescription drug coverage. Part D is prescription drug coverage that is offered by private insurance companies.

Medicare helps cover a wide range of health care costs, but there are some things that it does not cover. For example, Medicare does not cover routine dental care, vision care, or hearing aids. It also does not cover long-term care, such as nursing home care.

If you have Medicare, you may want to consider purchasing a Medicare Supplement plan (Medigap) or a Medicare Advantage plan. These plans can help cover some of the costs that Medicare does not cover.