Medicare Coverage In United States For Treatment For Drug And Alcohol Addiction

Medicare is defined as a federal social insurance program which provides basic health care coverage for persons 65 years or older whom have paid into social insurance throughout his or her life, it also provides health coverage for young people with disabilities. By the year 2010, Medicare was providing coverage for close to 50 million Americans, almost 10 million of those Americans were young people with disabilities. Medicare uses about 30 different private insurance companies across the United States to help determine coverage needs and amounts. Almost 50 percent of the health care charges are covered my Medicare, and the rest are covered out of pocket or by the users other insurance company if applicable.

To be eligible for Medicare you must be a United States citizen for at least five years and be 65 years or older. If people with disabilities under the age of 65 are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, they may also be eligible for Medicare. If you are 65 years or older and a US resident for more than 5 years, you must also have been paying your Medicare taxes for at least ten years. The coverage of Medicare has four different parts; there are hospital insurance, medical insurance, Medicare advantage plans, and prescription-drug plans. Medicare does not pay for all of individual medical costs; you will have out of pocket costs involved, unless you have other private health insurances, there are premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance, which must be paid out of pocket.

Medicare can be beneficial health programs for people 65 years or older and persons with disabilities, for as long as you have paid into it over the years and meet the other requirements you are eligible for coverage. For many seniors and retirees, private health insurance is not always an option as they may be living on a fixed income. Medicare offers a solution for that were close to 50 percent of your medical and health needs can be covered. Many senior Americans are currently enrolled in this federal program across the United States.

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