b' Wordw w w. w m i m u t u a l . c o mMedicare andMedicare Supplement President of InsuranceWMI MutualInsurance Company What are the Various& WMI TPAIts that time of year again time David Leo for my annual Medicare and MedicareComponents of Medicare?Supplement article. Since the overwhelm-ing majority of the information in myWhen working with Medicare,I suggest past articles hasnt changed, Ive decidedyou pay special attention to the distinction between to update a past article rather than writethe words part and plan which are similar but something totally fresh. In the interest ofquite distinct in the Medicare context. As explained full disclosure, much of the informationbelow in greater detail, the word part is generally used to distinguish between the four major Medi-in this article has been stolen from thecare components (Parts A, B, C and D), while the official Medicare guide that is publishedword plan refers to the different types ofby the government agency known as theMedigap insurance policies that supplementCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMedicare coverage (Plans A-N).(CMS).That publication is entitled Medicare Medicare Part A(Hospital Insurance) & You 2025The official U.S. government MedicareThis part of Medicare helps cover inpatienthandbook, and you can access the most recenthospital care, skilled nursing facilities, hospice and version of this publication at medicare.gov/ home health care. When Medicare publications/10050-Medicare-and-You.pdf . Part A is paired with Medicare Part B, the combined coverage is known as Original Medicare. This is in contrast to Medicare Advantage (Part What is Medicare? C) plans that are health insurance plans that are offered by private insurance companies in place of Medicare is the federalOriginal Medicare (see below). Those who are in-health insurance sured under Medicare Part A usually arent required to pay a monthly premium for that coverage, but program for:(a) people agethey are responsible to pay a deductible (projected 65 or older; (b) people underto be $1,676 in 2025) or copayments and coinsur-age 65 with certain disabili- ance for covered services. Medicare Supplement ties; and (c) people of any agepolicies can be purchased to cover many of those with end-stage renal diseaseout-of-pocket costs (see below).(ESRD) (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant). Medicare coversMedicare Part B(Doctor and other Medical nearly 65 million Americans or nearly 20% of theInsurance)This part of Medicare helps cover entire population of the United States. According toservices from doctors and other health care provid-KFF, the overwhelming majority of those covereders, hospital outpatient care, durable medical equip-by Medicare (57 million) are older adults who arement, and home health care. It also covered because they have reached the Medicarecovers many preventive services, eligibility age of 65 years old, but about 8 millionscreenings and immunizations. It Medicare participants are younger adults who aredoes not, however, include cover-eligible due to their disabled status.age for prescription drugs which 50 www.wpma.com / Winter 2024'