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Ashford Insurance

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P: 817-952-3153
F: 682-503-6467
TF: 844-880-8805

1245 Southridge Court
Suite 101
Hurst, TX 76053

Waxahachie Medicare Insurance

Waxahachie Medicare Insurance

Medicare Made Easy

Waxahachie Medicare Insurance

Medicare is a national health insurance program in the United States, begun in 1965 under the Social Security Administration (SSA) and is now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It primarily provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older, but also for some younger people with disability status as determined by the SSA, including people with end-stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Are You Eligible for Medicare?

Generally, you are eligible for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment, and you are 65 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

If you are not 65, you might also qualify for coverage if you have a disability or with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant).

Here are some simple guidelines. You can get Part A at age 65 without having to pay premiums if:

  • You already get retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
  • You are eligible to get Social Security or Railroad benefits but have not yet filed for them.
  • You or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment.

If you are under 65, you can get Part A without having to pay premiums if:

  • You have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement
  • Board disability benefit for 24 months. You are a kidney dialysis or kidney transplant patient.

While you don’t have to pay a premium for Part A if you meet one of those conditions, you must pay for Part B if you want it. It is deducted from your Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement check. If you don’t get any of the above payments, Medicare sends you a bill for your Part B premium every 3 months.

Medicare Advantage Explained

Medicare Advantage Plans are another Medicare health plan choice you may have as part of Medicare. They look similar to the insurance you had through an employer and are usually offered as HMOs or PPOs.

Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called “Part C” or “MA Plans,” offer comprehensive coverage and are provided by private companies approved by Medicare.

If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, the plan will provide all your Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans may offer extra coverage, such as vision, hearing, dental, and/or health and wellness programs. Most include Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D).

Medicare Supplement Explained

Medicare Supplement insurance is a type of policy that pays second to Medicare. Since Medicare doesn’t cover 100% of your expenses, many people elect to purchase Medicare Supplement insurance to cover the expenses left behind after Medicare pays. These expenses are usually 20% of doctor visits, ER, diagnostic tests, physical therapy, and other medical expenses. If you stay overnight in the hospital, Medicare charges you a deductible of $1,260 for each period. This deductible can be charged to you multiple times in a year if you re-enter the hospital.

Medicare Supplement Benefits

Every company that offers Medicare Supplement plans (or Medigap, which is the same thing) has to offer the same benefits. The plans are standardized policies labeled A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. This means that Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s supplemental F policy covers the exact same things as Mutual of Omaha’s supplemental F, for example. Each level of coverage is represented by a different letter, with Plan F being the highest level of coverage. These plans contain the same benefits regardless of your location.