Medicare

Topic

A U.S. federal health insurance program. Phillips criticizes the current 'sick-care' model and advocates for a capitated system to incentivize preventative health measures.


First Mentioned

1/10/2026, 6:08:22 AM

Last Updated

1/10/2026, 6:09:54 AM

Research Retrieved

1/10/2026, 6:09:54 AM

Summary

Medicare is a federal health insurance program in the United States established in 1965, primarily serving individuals aged 65 and older, as well as younger people with disabilities, including those with end-stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the program is structured into four parts: Part A covers hospital, skilled nursing, and hospice care; Part B covers outpatient services; Part C offers private plan alternatives (Medicare Advantage); and Part D addresses self-administered prescription drugs. In 2022, Medicare insured 65 million individuals, with spending exceeding $900 billion, funded by the U.S. Treasury, payroll taxes, and beneficiary premiums. The program has recently become a focal point for fiscal reform, with presidential candidate Dean Phillips proposing the use of zero-based budgeting to address its impact on the national debt.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Established

    1965-07-30

  • Administrator

    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

  • Funding Sources

    U.S. Treasury, Payroll Taxes, and Beneficiary Premiums

  • Enrollees (2022)

    65,000,000 individuals

  • Headquarters Location

    Woodlawn, Maryland, United States

  • Annual Spending (2022)

    900,000,000,000 USD

Timeline
  • Medicare is established as a federal health insurance program under the Social Security Administration. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1965-07-30

  • Medicare enrollment reaches 65 million individuals with annual spending exceeding $900 billion USD. (Source: Wikipedia)

    2022-12-31

  • Presidential candidate Dean Phillips proposes reforming Medicare using zero-based budgeting to address the U.S. national debt. (Source: Document 6e7fa98a-afe3-4640-87cd-83a5452e0868)

    2023-11-01

Medicare (United States)

Medicare is a federal health insurance program in the United States for people age 65 or older and younger people with disabilities, including those with end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). It started in 1965 under the Social Security Administration and is now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare is divided into four parts: A, B, C, and D. Part A covers hospital, skilled nursing, and hospice services. Part B covers outpatient services. Part C is an alternative that allows patients to choose private plans with different benefit structures that provide the same services as Parts A and B, usually with additional benefits. Part D is for self-administered prescription drugs. In 2022, Medicare provided health insurance for 65.0 million individuals—more than 57 million people aged 65 and older and about 8 million younger people. According to annual Medicare Trustees reports and research by Congress' MedPAC group, Medicare covers about half of healthcare expenses of those enrolled. Enrollees cover most of the remaining costs by taking additional private insurance (medi-gap insurance), by enrolling in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, or by joining a private Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) plan. In 2022, spending by the Medicare Trustees topped $900 billion per the Trustees report Table II.B.1, of which $423 billion came from the U.S. Treasury and the rest primarily from the Part A Trust Fund (which is funded by payroll taxes) and premiums paid by beneficiaries. Households that retired in 2013 paid only 13 to 41 percent of the benefit dollars they are expected to receive. Beneficiaries typically have other healthcare-related costs, including Medicare Part A, B, and D deductibles and Part B and C co-pays; the costs of long-term custodial care (which are not covered by Medicare); and the costs resulting from Medicare's lifetime and per-incident limits.

Web Search Results
  • [PDF] Medicare - Social Security

    Medicare # SSA.gov # 2025 What’s inside # Medicare 1 # What is Medicare? 1 # Who can get Medicare? 3 # Rules for higher-income beneficiaries 7 # Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) 8 # Signing up for Medicare 9 # Choices for receiving health services 16 # If you have other health insurance 16 # Contacting Us 19 1 # Medicare This booklet provides basic information about Medicare and coverage options. You can visit Medicare.gov or call the toll-free number 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227 ) or the TTY number 1-877-486-2048 for the latest information about Medicare. # What is Medicare? Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older. People younger than age 65 with certain disabilities, permanent kidney failure, or amyotrophic [...] 1-877-486-2048 . A word about Medicaid Medicaid and Medicare are 2 different programs. Medicaid is a state-run program that provides hospital and medical coverage for people with low income. Each state has its own rules about who’s eligible and what Medicaid covers. Some people are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information about the Medicaid program, contact your local medical assistance agency, social services office, or get state contact information at www.Medicaid.gov . # Who can get Medicare? Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) People age 65 or older, who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States, are eligible for Medicare Part A. You’re eligible for Part A at no cost at age 65 if 1 of the following applies: [...] If you’re approaching age 65 and not receiving benefits, you should contact us about 3 months before your 65 th birthday to sign up for Medicare. You should sign up for Medicare even if you don’t plan to retire at age 65. However, if you are eligible for Medicare and your medical insurance coverage is through a current employer’s group health plan, Medicare has a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to sign up for Medicare Part B. This SEP qualifies you to delay enrolling in Medicare Part B without having to wait for a General Enrollment Period (GEP) and paying the penalty for late enrollment. You can find more information, under the section titled “Special Enrollment Period for people covered under an employer group health plan” . Getting Your Medicare Card

  • How and when to apply for Medicare | USAGov

    A disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Medicare is divided into four parts: 1. Medicare Part A is insurance for hospitalization, home or skilled nursing, and hospice. 2. Medicare Part B is medical insurance. 1. Learn about canceling Medicare Part A or Part B coverage, including its risks. Or, if you are ready to cancel your coverage, you can submit CMS Form 1763 to your local Social Security office. 3. Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) is a private insurance option that covers hospital and medical costs. 4. Medicare Part D covers prescription medications. Learn more about Medicare, including: How it works How to prepare to sign up and submit a Medicare application Find out what Medicare costs based on what coverage you choose. [...] An official website of the United States government Here's how you know Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Español Call us at 1-844-USAGOV1 # How and when to apply for Medicare Learn how Medicare works and how to sign up based on your situation. Find out where to get help with your benefits or replace your Medicare card. ## What is Medicare, and how does it work? Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 and over. If you are under 65, you may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have: [...] If you begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits between age 62 and up to 4 months before turning 65, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B when you turn 65. If you apply for Social Security 3 months before you turn 65 or later, you can sign up for Medicare when you apply for Social Security. + The Initial Enrollment Period to sign up for Medicare begins 3 months before you turn 65 and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65 — a total of 7 months. You may have to pay a penalty if you miss your Initial Enrollment Period.

  • Plan for Medicare | SSA - Social Security

    Plan for Medicare Medicare is our country's health insurance program for people age 65 or older. You may also qualify if you have permanent kidney failure or receive Disability benefits. ### Review the parts of Medicare There are 4 types of Medicare coverage, known as "parts." See the parts of Medicare ### When to sign up There are 3 enrollment periods for Medicare. It's important to sign up as soon as possible to avoid penalties or gaps in coverage. Find out when to sign up Sign up for Medicare You'll sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B through Social Security. You can learn more and sign up for other parts at Medicare.gov. Return to top #### Support Contact us Find an office Forms Publications Report fraud #### Languages [...] ##### By Type Retirement Disability Survivor Family Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits overview Medicare Plan for Medicare Sign up for Medicare Request to lower IRMAA Apply for Part D Extra Help Manage Medicare benefits Card & record Number & card Personal record Search English Español Sign in My account Account home Sign out Breadcrumb 1. Home 2. Medicare Plan for Medicare Review the parts of Medicare When to sign up Sign up for Medicare Request to lower IRMAA Apply for Part D Extra Help Manage Medicare benefits Plan for Medicare

  • How does Medicare work?

    ## How does Original Medicare work? Original Medicare includes two parts: Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) . Original Medicare covers most, but not all of the costs for approved health care services and supplies. After you meet your deductible, you pay your share of costs for services and supplies as you get them. There’s no limit on what you’ll pay out-of-pocket in a year unless you have other coverage (like Medigap, Medicaid, employer, retiree, or union coverage). Get details on cost saving programs. [...] If you're not lawfully present in the U.S., Medicare won't pay for your Part A and Part B claims, and you can't enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare drug plan. ## How does Medicare Advantage work? Medicare Advantage bundles your Part A, Part B, and usually Part D coverage into one plan. Plans may offer some extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover — like vision, hearing, and dental services. You join a plan offered by Medicare-approved private companies that follow rules set by Medicare. Each plan can have different rules for how you get services, like needing referrals to see a specialist. Costs for monthly premiums and services you get vary depending on which plan you join. [...] # How does Medicare work? Generally, you only need to sign up for Part A and Part B once. Each year, you can choose which way you get your health coverage (and add or switch drug coverage). Medicare is different from private insurance — it doesn’t offer plans for couples or families. You don’t have to make the same choice as your spouse. 2 steps to set up your Medicare coverage:

  • Sign up for Medicare | SSA - Social Security

    ##### By Type Retirement Disability Survivor Family Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits overview Medicare Plan for Medicare Sign up for Medicare Request to lower IRMAA Apply for Part D Extra Help Manage Medicare benefits Card & record Number & card Personal record Search English Español Sign in My account Account home Sign out Breadcrumb 1. Home 2. Medicare 3. Sign up for Medicare Plan for Medicare Sign up for Medicare Sign up for Part B only Request to lower IRMAA Apply for Part D Extra Help Manage Medicare benefits Sign up for Medicare [...] Sign up for Medicare Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. You’ll sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B through Social Security, so you can make both retirement and Medicare choices and withhold any premiums from your benefit payments. If you’re under age 65, you may be eligible for Medicare if you have permanent kidney failure) or if you receive Disability benefits. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not qualify you for Medicare on its own. Even if you receive SSI, you must meet one of the other requirements to qualify. #### Information you'll need to provide Basic information about yourself Social Security number Where you were born (city, state, country) Health insurance information

Location Data

Medicare, Franz-Josefs-Kai, Textilviertel, Innere Stadt, Wien, 1010, Österreich

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Coordinates: 48.2170784, 16.3703642

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