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Health Insurance 101 for Senior Citizens
from: Kyle BesserAdequate health insurance is becoming one of the most precious assets a senior citizen can have. Health insurance is a huge priority to most senior citizens. Protecting your health and having access to adequate medical care is one of the most important things that a senior can do to have an active and fulfilling lifestyle.
Accessible health care is not always affordable to everyone in the United States. Recent publicity about health care reform has made it clear that this is especially true for our nation's seniors
Health insurance types:
There are various different kinds of health insurance. Each has different requirements and is run by different entities. It is important to understand that many seniors have to combine several types of insurance coverage to meet their needs. It may be confusing for many seniors to deal with the different types of health insurance coverage, but understanding the basics is important for having adequate coverage. The three different types of insurance discussed here are Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance policies.
Medicare
Medicare is a federally funded health insurance plan designed to help those over 65 pay for health care needs. Medicare has four basic parts. Medicare Part A covers hospitalization and Medicare Part B covers outpatient services such as doctors visits. Medicare Part C, Medicare Advantage Plan, offers more choices among health plans and extends benefits. Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage. A senior may also need MediGap coverage, which is health insurance that covers expenses Medicare does not.
You are usually eligible to apply for Medicare just prior to your 65th birthday. If you have been paying for Medicare through taxes, you will not have to pay a premium for Part A. A premium will have to be paid for any of the other three parts.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a health insurance program run by state governments in conjunction with some financial assistance from the federal government. Medicaid is a program that was developed for low income individuals and intended to be an insurance of last resort. An individual usually has to exhaust other assets to qualify for Medicaid.
Private Health Insurance
Private health insurance policies are usually provided by employers or purchased by individuals who have no employer provided health insurance. Premiums for private health insurance policies are paid for by employers, employees or by insured individuals.
One type of these private health insurance policies for seniors is referred to as Medigap policies, which means that they are designed to specifically cover things that Medicare does not. Long-term care insurance is a private insurance plan designed specifically to cover the costs of assisted living and nursing home care.
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