Medicare

What is it and who can receive it?

Medicare is a federal government health insurance program provided to people 65 and older, those who are under 65 years of age with a disability who have received Social Security or Railroad Retiree disability benefits for 24 consecutive months, those with a diagnosis of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and people with end-stage renal disease. A person must also be a US citizen and resident of the U.S. or an alien living in the U.S. for five years who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. It is made available to a person regardless of their income or financial need.

Are there different kind of Medicare?

Medicare is made up of five parts: Part A (hospital coverage), Part B (medical coverage), Part C (Medicare Advantage, or plans offered by private insurance companies), Part D (prescription coverage), and Medicare Supplement (or Medigap, extra insurance offered by private insurance companies).

How do I sign up?

Signing up for Medicare can be very confusing. There are different ways that people become eligible. There are also different ways of signing up and important deadlines. There are enrollment periods. Depending on your situation, some of the options may work better for you than others. There is also a program that might help you cover some costs if your income and resources are limited.

The State of Iowa offers one-one-one, confidential, free help through the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIIP).  You can find more information about the services SHIIP provides here. You can find your nearest SHIIP office location here. SHIIP also offers free, online Medicare information seminars which can be found here. 

Where can I get more information or help?

• You can find general information about Medicare at Medicare.gov. 
• The Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) provides information for those new to Medicare here. 
• To find detailed information about Medicare options and benefits and any new information for the year, you can access SHIIP's Understand Coverage page here.
• Staff at the area agencies on aging (AAA) can also assist with Medicare questions and applications. You can find contact information for your local area agency on aging here. 
• Iowa Legal Aid is a non-profit agency that provides legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable Iowans. Information can be found on the Iowa Legal Aid website and they can be reached by phone at 800-532-1503 or, for Iowans 60 or older, 800-992-8161. Find information about Medicare here. 
• Iowa Find-A-Lawyer is an online directory of attorneys provided by the Iowa State Bar Association. Information about Medicare can also be found in its Older Iowans Handbook. Find general information about Medicare on the Iowa State Bar Association's website here and about MedSupp here.