Medicare is a program by the government which offers health care coverage for individuals who are above 65, or individuals who are under 65 but diagnosed with an end-stage renal disease, or individuals below the age of 65 getting Social Security Disability Insurance for a specific period of time.

After you become eligible for Medicare, you need to enroll during the open enrollment period and choose to get the benefits from the Original Medicare. This is a fee-for-service program offered by the government. Alternatively, you may opt for the Medicare Advantage Plan. This plan is like a private insurance is offered by companies who have a contract with the government.

The Original Medicare plan has four parts namely A, B, C, and D. The cost for every plan differs. You may compare the costs and learn about specific plans before you make a decision.

Medicare premium costs
Let’s look at the cost of premiums for each of the Medicare plans:

• Medicare Part A
  A lot of people do not have to pay a premium for Part A. If you buy the plan, you will be required to pay an amount of $422 every month. In case you have paid your Medicare taxes for 30 to 39 quarters, the amount of premium payable by you will be $232. There is a hospital in-patient deductible as well as a coinsurance you pay for Part A. With regard to the deductible, you pay $1,340 for every benefit period and there is no coinsurance payment for the first 60 days in every benefit period. Beyond 60 days, you pay $335 every day during the benefit period and the same amount goes up to $670 after 90 days.
• Medicare Part B
  The 2018 Medicare premium for Part B is $134. Depending on a person’s income, there are some people who pay a lower amount and there are many who pay a higher amount as well. The deductible amount for part B is $183 every year. Once this amount has been met, you pay about 20% of the approved amount for your medical services which include inpatient, outpatient, and medical equipment.
• Medicare Part C and D
  The amount of premium payable under these plans will vary by the plan you choose.

It is important to understand the 2018 Medicare premiums before you choose a plan. With regard to Part A and B, there is a clarity on the sum of deductibles and the premium. However, when it comes to Part C and D, you need to compare different plans to choose the one that fits your needs.