People throw the letters around, Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D, like everyone is supposed to already know them. You’re not. Here’s what each one is, in plain language.
Part A, hospital insurance
Part A is the hospital side. It helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, a limited amount of skilled nursing care, hospice, and some home health care.
Most people don’t pay a monthly premium for Part A, because you (or your spouse) already paid for it through years of payroll taxes while working. There are still deductibles and limits, so it isn’t free care, but the monthly cost is usually zero.
Part B, medical insurance
Part B is the everyday medical side: doctor visits, outpatient care, lab work, preventive screenings, and durable medical equipment like a walker or oxygen.
Part B has a monthly premium that’s set each year, plus a yearly deductible. After that, you typically pay a share of the cost, often 20%, for covered services. On its own, Part B puts no ceiling on what that 20% can add up to, which is one reason people add other coverage.
Together, Part A and Part B are called Original Medicare.
Part C, Medicare Advantage
Part C, usually called Medicare Advantage, is another way to get your Medicare. Instead of staying with Original Medicare, you get your Part A and Part B, and usually Part D drug coverage, bundled through a private plan that Medicare approves.
These plans often add extras and include a yearly out-of-pocket maximum, which Original Medicare doesn’t have. In exchange, they usually ask you to use a network of doctors and follow the plan’s rules. Whether that trade is worth it depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, and how you like to get care, exactly the kind of thing we’d talk through.
Part D, prescription drug coverage
Part D helps with the cost of prescriptions. You can get it as a standalone drug plan that sits alongside Original Medicare, or built into a Medicare Advantage plan.
Drug plans differ in which medications they cover and how, so the best one really depends on the specific prescriptions you take.
How they fit together
You’ll generally go one of two directions:
- Original Medicare (A and B), often paired with a separate Part D drug plan, and sometimes a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy to help with the gaps.
- Medicare Advantage (Part C), which usually rolls A, B, and D into one plan with a network and an out-of-pocket cap.
There’s no single right answer. There’s a right answer for you, and finding it is the whole point of sitting down together.
Want a hand? Call or text me, there’s no cost and no pressure. You can also get the official details at Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.