Medicare Advantage Essay

Medicare is one of the largest health insurance programs running in the United States, and its efficiency is due to several aspects. Application forms and the entire enrollment process are conceived to be as simple as possible and accessible too. But the main quality that makes Medicare so efficient and satisfying is represented by the benefits one can get after enrollment. Another appreciable feature is that Medicare considers automatically eligible all American citizens with the age of 65, but also accepts as beneficiaries of the insurance people which are not yet 65 experiencing some severe disorders, and foreign citizens who have worked in the United States for an established period of time.

The basic programs developed by Medicare are

However, Medicare part A and Medicare part B do not cover prescription drugs expenses automatically. This is why Medicare had designed a different part to deal with prescription drugs coverage, that is, Medicare part D.

What is then Medicare part C? This part is often referred to as Medicare Advantage plans. It was designed as a more flexible strategy of handling health insurance issues. Some people prefer to receive their benefits through their private health insurance plans, instead of through the original Medicare plan that consisted of parts A and B. Because people were offered the possibility to choose how to receive the benefits, part C, or Medicare Advantage plans, was also named "Medicare + Choice".

Medicare Advantage plans include Medicare Health Maintenance Organization (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), Medicare Special Needs Plans and Private Free-for-Service Plans. Each of these plans has its own way of handling insurance issues and works differently. But the main condition they all have to meet is that the insured must have Medicare part A and B, otherwise they can not benefit from Medicare Advantage