What is Medicare?
Medicare is the federal health insurance program that is in place for those who are 65 years of age or older, as well as younger people with certain disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD).
Who Qualifies for Medicare?
In order to be eligible to enroll in Medicare, you must meet certain requirements. To receive Medicare, you must meet the following requirements:
You qualify for full Medicare benefits at age 65 or older if:
- You are a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident who has lived in the United States for at least five years.
- You or your spouse has worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security or railroad retirement benefits, usually equating to 40 credits from about 10 years of work.
- You or your spouse is a government employee or retiree who has not paid into Social Security but has paid Medicare payroll taxes while working.
If you’re younger than 65, you may still be eligible if:
- You receive Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months, can be non-consecutive.
- You receive a disability pension from the Railroad Retirement Board and meet certain conditions.
- You have Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which qualifies you immediately.
- You have permanent kidney failure requiring regular dialysis or a kidney transplant — and you or your spouse has paid Social Security taxes for a specified length of time depending on your age.
The 4 Parts of Medicare
MEDICARE PART A
Hospital Insurance
Part A covers some hospital expenses such as in-patient hospital stays, as well as some nursing home facility care, hospice care, and other home health care.
MEDICARE PART B
Medical Insurance
Part B covers outpatient care, medical supplies, preventive services and certain doctors’ services such as doctor office visits, lab testing, surgeries, ambulance rides, chemotherapy and radiation, and more.
MEDICARE PART C
Medicare Advantage
Part C is an “all in one” replacement or alternative to Original Medicare and is another name for private Medicare insurance. Part C does not cover specific medical expenses. However, Medicare Advantage Plans may offer prescription drug coverage that fall under the same rules as Medicare Prescription Drug Plans.
MEDICARE PART D
Prescription Drug Coverage
Part D plans are offered by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare and provide coverage of some brand-name and generic prescription drugs. Part D plans differ in the drugs they cover, how much you pay out of pocket and which pharmacies you can use.
Meet The Founder
Scott Briggs CSA, CEO and Founder
Scott, Founder and CEO of Medicare Planning Solutions of Michigan is a Certified Senior Advisor and member of the National Ethics committee.
With over 30 years of experience, and a second generation Advisor, he has committed his efforts to specializing in Wealth Management, Asset Preservation and Tax-Efficient Income Planning.
Attention to detail, good listening skills, patients, great empathy and the dedication to his practice makes Scott well sought after and a reliable source of information for not only his established clients but for those retired and approaching retirement.
Scott is married with five children and away from the office enjoys spending his leisure time outdoors, whether it be improving his game on the golf course or fishing on one of his favorite lakes.
In the everchanging environment of retirement planning you can rest assured that your needs and goals will be thoroughly understood, further helping guide you to the best possible strategies tailored to fit your retirement goals.
Upcoming Educational Workshops
Thank You For Your Interest In Our
Upcoming Medicare & You Workshops.
Unfortunately, all of our JULY Workshops have been cancelled.
Because of the recent COVID-19 Pandemic, we have been forced to cancel all July workshops. Please register for one of our future workshops or contact us directly for more information.
Thank You
Medicare & You Staff
