This federal program, which President Johnson signed into law back in 1965, was created to provide health insurance for all people 65 years of age or older. It’s gone through many changes over the years. More recently, for instance, a new program was added to help cover prescription drug costs.

But that brings us to the crux of the matter. What exactly does Medicare provide? What options do I have with it?

At Flaherty Insurance Group we stand ready to help. Our agents are licensed brokers who can guide you through the program’s complexities and help you choose a Medicare plan that best suits your needs.
The first thing to understand is that Medicare isn’t a single insurance program. It’s actually split into four parts:

• Part A provides hospital benefits and is administered by the federal government.
• Part B, also administered by the federal government, covers physician benefits. These include such things as doctor bills, medical services, and some supplies that hospital insurance doesn’t cover.
• Part C, best known as Medicare Advantage, encompasses HMO and PPO types of insurance plans. These are administered by private insurance companies that have contracts with the federal government, which does have oversight.
• Part D provides prescription drug benefits through what are known as PDP plans. Again, these are administered by private insurance companies.

Also available are Medicare Supplements – MediGap Plans – to cover many, or with some plans all, of the expenses not covered by traditional Medicare.

We mentioned already how these plans have changed over the years. The fact is, they tend to change yearly. Our insurance agents will review your Medicare plan as well as your benefits and advise you if adjustments are needed to accommodate changes in your financial and health circumstances. We’ll also let you know if you qualify for “extra help” with expenses such as Medicare premiums and prescription premiums, or coinsurance.

For more information on Medicare and what it can provide for you, explore this website. Then contact Flaherty Insurance Group. We’re right here in Middletown and Charleston to serve your insurance needs.