Medicare Database Description
Medicare Background
Medicare was established by Title XVIII of the Social Security Amendment of 1965; the program began on July 1, 1966.
Medicare is a health insurance program funded solely by the US federal government and is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) --(formerly, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)) -- within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Medicare provides:
- Part A, Hospital Insurance - covering inpatient care in hospitals, including critical access hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care), hospice care, and some home health care.
- Part B, Medical Insurance - covering doctors' services and outpatient care, some other medical services that Part A doesn't cover (some of the services of physical and occupational therapists, and some home health care).
- Part C, Medicare Advantage Plans – HMOs and PPOs; private Medicare-approved insurance companies offering combined hospital and medical coverage.
- Part D, Prescription Drug Coverage - Historically Medicare has not paid for outpatient drugs, but beginning on January 1, 2006 (under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003) a comprehensive prescription drug benefit has been offered.
- Medigap – a supplemental insurance policy, sold by private insurance companies, to fill-in gaps of Part A and Part B coverage. More can be learned at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Medigap/
Download PDF of Complete Medicare Description
|
