One of the most complicated decisions you need to make after you turn 65 or retire concerns your healthcare coverage. Starting Medicare involves a series of decisions about what type of coverage you want.
We’ve put together this quick Medicare guide to help make this process as easy as possible.
Understanding Medicare
Medicare is a federal health insurance program administered through an agency called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 
It is only available to certain individuals, including:
- People who are 65+
- People under age 65 with certain disabilities
- People with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
While that explanation sounds simple enough, there is a lot more to understand. Let’s start with the parts that make up Medicare coverage.
Different Parts of Medicare Coverage
There are three main parts that make up the Medicare program. Each part covers different aspects of your healthcare needs.
Medicare Part A
Medicare Part A is “hospital insurance”, and it covers inpatient hospital care. Inpatient care refers to any illness, procedure, or treatment that requires admission to the hospital. For instance, if you have knee replacement surgery and then stay in the hospital for a few days, that would be considered inpatient care.
What else is covered under Medicare Part A:
- Semi-private room
- General nursing care
- Drugs, supplies & equipment used during inpatient treatment
- Meals in the hospital
- Special care units (ICU, CCU)
- Other hospital