Medicare And Medicaid Services For The Senior Citizens

By Author: Michael Vaughan
Total Articles: 29
Comment this article

There are two main programs administered by the government that offer benefits to senior citizens - Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is available for all senior citizens age 65 or older. Those under age 65 with certain disabilities may also be eligible for Medicare. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must have entered the U.S. lawfully at least five years prior to receiving Medicare benefits. Medicaid is for people with limited income.

Medicare
Medicare has two parts.
Part A is the hospital insurance and Part B is the medical insurance.

Medicare Part Acan pay for Home Health Care if the patient meets certain requirements. Part A is set up mainly to pay for care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, or by hospice. Depending on the amount of Medicare taxes paid by the patient and their spouse over their lifetimes, for Medicare part A they don't have to pay any monthly fee. Otherwise, the patient may have to enroll and pay a premium.

Medicare Part B is the medical portion which helps pay for medically-necessary doctors' ...
... services and other patient care. Part B can also pay for some preventative services (like flu shots) or some services to keep certain illnesses from getting worse.
There are two main options available for choosing a Medicare service

One is traditional Medicare coverage, which is managed by the Federal government. This plan provides Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. The recipient can choose to have either Part A or Part B or both. There is a mandatory deductible, and usually coinsurance charges for each time one gets service. A Medicare supplemental insurance policy called Medigap, can also be purchased. This helps pay for some of the gaps such as co-payments, coinsurances, and deductibles.

Medicare Advantage Plans, offered by Medicare-approved private insurance companies referred under Medicare Part C is another option. They generally provide services in addition to Part A and Part B services. Co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles are likely to be less, but you have to make a monthly premium payment.

Medicare Part D is available for senior citizens with limited income to help pay for prescription costs.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a health insurance program designed for people with low-income. It is funded by both the Federal and state government. Each state administers the program for its residents. Rules for eligibility include the potential recipient's income and assets. Each state may have slightly different rules for determining financial need and other eligibility requirements.

If the senior citizen you are caring for has limited income, you should apply to find out his or her candidature. Find a qualified caseworker in your state to help you with the application process. You may have to pay a co-pay for certain medical services, depending on your state's policies.

Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of the medical expenses, including nursing Home Care, for those who qualify. For any other information over similar subjects you can refer thecaringspace.com. Here you will be able to find care giving agencies in your area and would also be able to access useful information that would help you take a better care of your elders. For more details you can log on to: www.TheCaringSpace.com