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Medicare Supplements

Medicare is a national health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older, ceriain younger disabled people and people with permanent kidney failure. Medicare is run by the Health Care Financing Administration. The Social Security Administration helps HCFA by enrolling people in Medicare and by collecting Medicare premiums.

Two Parts of Medicare

Medicare is divided into two parts: Hospital Insurance Part A) and Medical Insurance Part B). Part A helps pay for care in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, some home health care, and hospice care. Part B helps pay for doctor bills, outpatient hospital care and other medical services not covered by Part A. Your Medicare card shows the Medicare coverage you have Hospital Insurance Part A), Medical Insurance Part B), or both-and the date your coverage started.

Part A is financed by part of the Social Security payroll withholding tax paid by workers and their employers, and by part of the Self-Employment Tax paid by self-employed persons. You do not have to pay a monthly premium for Part A if you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare covered employment, and you are 65 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. Cerain younger disabled persons and those with end stage renal disease (ESRD) (kidney dialysis and transplant patients) also qualify for premium-free Part A. For more information on special rules for Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD, see page 24.

if you do not qualify for premium-free Part A, you may buy it if you are at least 65 years old and meet certain other requirements. You also may buy Part A if you are under age 65, were once entitled to Medicare under the disability provisions and still have the same disability but your benefits were ended because of your work and earnings. The monthly premium in 1998 is $170 if you had at least 30 quarters of Medicare-covered employment but fewer than 40 quarters. It is $309 if you had fewer than 30 quarters or no quarters of covered employment.

Everyone who enrolls in Medicare Part B must pay a premium. The monthly premium in 1998 is $43.80 and most enrollees have it deducted from their monthly Social Security check. You are automatically enrolled in Part B when you become entitled to premium-free Part A unless you state that you don't want it. Even if you do not qualify for premium-free Part A, you generally can buy Part B you are 65 or older.