What is Medicare?
Medicare is U.S. government health insurance. It helps people who are 65 or older, or younger people with certain health problems. This includes people who have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), which means kidney failure and needing dialysis or a transplant, and people who have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Medicare helps pay for doctor visits, hospital stays, medicine, and other care.
👉 ‘Original’ Medicare has 2 Parts: Part A and Part B – the foundation of your health coverage
Medicare Part A - $0/mo for Most
Part A helps cover the care you need when you are admitted to a facility. It includes:
Inpatient hospital care – room, meals, nursing care, and drugs while you’re admitted
Skilled Nursing Facility care – short-term care after a hospital stay, like rehab or therapy
Hospice care – comfort and support for people with a terminal illness
Some home health care – part-time nursing or therapy services in your home
Medicare Part B - $185/mo for Most
Part B helps cover the services and supplies you need to stay healthy or treat a condition. It includes:
Doctor visits – checkups, specialists, and outpatient visits
Outpatient surgeries – procedures not requiring an overnight hospital stay
Lab tests and imaging – blood work, X-rays, MRIs, etc.
Durable medical equipment (DME) – things like wheelchairs, walkers, or oxygen
Preventive services – screenings, vaccines, and yearly wellness visits
Vision care for medical needs – treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, and diseases of the eye
Medicare Part A Costs in 2025
You pay $1,676 for days 1-60 when you’re admitted into a hospital.
After that:
Days 61–90: you pay $419/day
Days 91–150: you pay $838/day (if you have lifetime reserve days left)
For rehab after a hospital stay (in a Skilled Nursing Facility):
First 20 days: You pay $0
Days 21–100: $209.50/day
After day 100: you pay all costs yourself
Medicare Part B Costs in 2025
Premium
Most people pay $185 each month for Part B, but wealthier individuals may pay more.Deductible
Each year, you pay $257 before Medicare starts helping.After That
Once the deductible is met, Medicare covers 80% of the cost, and you pay the remaining 20%—for every service or piece of equipment.No Protection from Rising Costs
There’s no cap on how much you’ll pay in total. If you use healthcare a lot—like many tests or treatments—that 20% can become a big amount over the year.
