In this course, you will learn about the coverage and costs under Original Medicare Part A, also known as hospital insurance. You will learn about key areas of Part A coverage: inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, home health care, and hospice care. We’ll also explore cost components for Part A, including what constitutes premium-free Part A for beneficiaries or their spouses based on work history, what determines a benefit period and how the Part A deductible applies to each period, and how coinsurances may apply for Part A-covered services, depending on what type of service is received.

This course addresses Medicare Part D, the part of Medicare that covers most outpatient prescription drugs either through a stand-alone Part D plan or included in a Medicare Advantage Plan. You will learn how each Part D plan covers different drugs on its formulary, take a closer look at the drugs Part D and Part B cover, and find out which drugs are excluded from Medicare coverage. The course also details the cost structure of Part D plans, particularly the way premiums, deductibles, and copay/coinsurance amounts can vary, depending on the plan. We provide detailed explanations and examples to illustrate the four different phases of Part D coverage in any given calendar year: the deductible phase, the initial coverage period, the donut hole or coverage gap, and catastrophic coverage. We will also explore common coverage restrictions, including prior authorization, quantity limits, and step therapy. Finally, we’ll introduce Medicare Plan Finder, an online tool that helps individuals compare and find a Part D plan that works for them.

This course addresses the basics of Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans, a private insurance alternative to Original Medicare that must cover the same baseline benefits as Original Medicare. We’ll see how MA Plans can use networks of providers and service areas, require referrals for specialists, include additional benefits not covered by Original Medicare, and affect a beneficiary’s out-of-pocket costs. You’ll learn about several different types of Medicare Advantage Plan, such as health maintenance organizations and Special Needs Plans, and find out the services that plans must cover and how they may charge different costs or impose different terms than Original Medicare. Finally, we’ll explore beneficiary rights and protections in MA Plans and how these are enforced through grievances and appeals.