If you are eligible for Medicare Medicare is the federal government health insurance program that provides health care coverage if you are 65 or older, are under 65 and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 months, begin receiving SSDI due to ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) no matter your age. You can receive health coverage directly through the federal government (see Original Medicare) or through a private company (see Medicare Advantage). coverage, you are also eligible for the Medicare drug benefit (Part D). You must be enrolled in Medicare Part A Part A, also known as hospital insurance, is the part of Medicare that covers most medically necessary hospital inpatient care, skilled nursing facility (SNF) care, home health care, and hospice care. and/or Part B Part B, also known as medical insurance, is the part of Medicare that covers most medically necessary doctors’ services, preventive care, hospital outpatient care, durable medical equipment (DME), laboratory tests, x-rays, mental health services, and some home health care and ambulance services. to enroll in Part D.
Medicare drug coverage is only available through private plans. If you have Medicare Part A and/or Part B and you do not have other drug coverage (creditable coverage), you should enroll in a Part D plan. This is true even if you do not currently take any prescription drugs. If you delay enrollment in Part D for any amount of time and find that you need drug coverage later, you will incur a premium penalty.
Note: If you are enrolled in Medicaid Medicaid is a federal and state program that provides health coverage for certain people with limited income and assets. and become eligible for the Medicare drug benefit, you will usually be automatically enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan and pay no premium for it. If you are in Medicaid and do not want the Medicare drug benefit, call your local Medicaid office.