Medicare is health care coverage for people who are 65 and older, and for some people younger than 65 who have disabilities.

Medicare has different parts to it called Medicare Part A, B, C, and D. They are described briefly below.

It’s important to know that there are special deadlines and rules for each part. If you sign up late for some of the parts, you may pay a penalty for as long as you have Medicare. Most people sign up for Medicare during the three months before their 65th birthday. You should look at Medicare information and deadlines when you reach age 64 so you can plan ahead. Be sure to sign up on time to avoid paying late penalties.

If you are younger than 65 and on Social Security disability, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B after 24 months of disability payments from Social Security.

Medicare Part A: “Hospital coverage”

Medicare Part A covers hospital care, care in a “skilled nursing facility” (such as a nursing home), hospice care received at home or in a hospital or other facility, and some home health care.

Generally, Medicare Part A pays 80 percent of the cost of a covered service.

If you or your spouse worked 40 calendar quarters (a total of 10 years) in jobs that paid Social Security taxes, you should be able to get premium-free Medicare Part A. Premium-free means that you don’t have to pay a monthly premium bill to have the health care coverage.

If you are divorced, it may be possible to get premium-free Part A based on your ex-spouse’s work record. To get this, you or your former spouse needs to be eligible for Social Security. You must have been married for 10 years, and be single (divorced and not re-married) when you apply for Medicare.

Most people can get Part A without paying a premium each month. To find out if that applies to you, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.ssa.gov.

Medicare Part B: “Medical coverage”

Medicare Part B covers some doctors’ services, outpatient care, medical supplies (like wheelchairs and walkers), and preventive health services. You pay a monthly premium to have Part B coverage.

Generally speaking, Medicare Part B pays 80 percent of the cost of a covered service.

If you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B on time, you may have a late enrollment penalty. The cost of your monthly premium for Part B may go up 10% for each 12-month period that you could have had Part B but didn’t sign up for it. You will have to pay more each month for as long as you have Medicare Part B.

Medicare Part C: “Advantage Plan coverage”

Some Vermonters choose to sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan, sometimes called "Part C" or "MA Plans." They are offered by private companies approved by Medicare. If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you still have Medicare. You'll get your Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B coverage (and sometimes your Part D drug coverage) from the Medicare Advantage Plan and not from “Original Medicare.” Visit the Medicare.gov website for information on Medicare Advantage Plans.

Medicare Part D: “Prescription coverage”

Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage. You pay a monthly premium to have this coverage. You choose a Part D plan that meets your prescription and budget needs.

To get Medicare Part D, you need to be enrolled in Medicare Part A or Part B.

Part D has a late enrollment penalty. If you sign up later than you should, you will have to pay more each month for as long as you have Medicare Part D.

Learn More

Learn more details about signing up for Medicare by visiting the Medicare section of our website.