When you enroll in Texas Medicare insurance, you have three parts of coverage to consider. Part A is your free hospital insurance and is provided to people without a charge because it is simply designed to be that way, and the fact you paid into the system for all those years.. This coverage is not unlimited, by any means, and it does include a deductible. Also, the deductible is not yearly, it’s per benefit period. This is the most basic Medicare coverage and almost everyone enrolls because it doesn’t cost a dime. This coverage will protect you in the event of skilled nursing care, hospital stays, hospice care, and a few other types of treatment, but not all-inclusively. Usually, you will only be partially covered in these areas.
With Texas Medicare insurance, like in other states, Part B is optional. This is one that must be purchased from the government and it comes out of the social security check that you get from the government. Most of the time people who enroll in Part A are automatically enrolled in Part B, but you have the opportunity to confirm or deny the benefit. In Texas, the current monthly cost for 2011 is $115. Some people will pay more if they have more income, so it is important to talk to social security and understand what that charge will be in your situation. If you decide not to purchase Part B when you are eligible there is a fairly hefty financial penalty that is assessed if you ever decided to purchase Part B, also there are only certain times of the year you can elect to purchase Part B.
Part B coverage takes care of doctor visits, medical tests, and other medical bills outside of hospital and catastrophic coverage. If you are going to invest in Medicare supplements, you have to have Texas Medicare insurance that includes Part B coverage first. There is a $162 deductible for Part B coverage and 80% of the expenses are covered with a 20% copayment. No matter how many medical bills you think you’ll have, this is still more affordable than paying out of pocket.
Another type of coverage to consider is private prescription coverage, or Texas Medicare insurance Part D. This policy is NOT required, but private companies will charge a penalty to your premium if you wait to sign up after becoming eligible for Medicare coverage. Part A is a given when you are getting Medicare coverage. To get the most complete protection, you should also enroll in Part B and Part D. Of course, you should look into Medicare supplements to add more protection to your coverage and consider Medicare Advantage plans as another alternative to fill in the gaps that Medicare leaves. Basically, there isn’t a lot to do but choose whether or not you want coverage with Texas Medicare, and for the affordable price you should definitely choose coverage.
Again, in order to purchase a Texas Medicare supplement policy you must have both Part A and Part B of Medicare and in order to avoid an additional premium penalty or to have drug prescription coverage you need to select Part D. For more information visit us at www.MedicareInsuranceTexas.com .