Generally, Medicare is for people 65 or older.

You may be able to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig's disease).

Parts A & B are also known as Original Medicare.  Parts A & B cover 80% of all covered expenses.

Part A covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility costs, hospice, lab tests, surgery, and some home health care services.

Part B covers physicians' fees, outpatient hospital care, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and other offerings not covered by Medicare Part A. Part B does come with some costs, which are adjusted annually. The premiums vary, according to the Medicare recipient's income level, but the standard monthly premium amount is $174.70, and the yearly deductible is $240 for 2024

Part C also known as Medicare Advantage plans, and sometimes called "Medicare Part C," are often viewed as an all-in-one alternative to Original Medicare. Medicare advantage plans are offered by private companies approved by the federal government.

Although these plans come with standardized minimum coverage, and do not leave you exposed to the whole 20% left over from Original Medicare, the amount of additional protection offered can differ drastically from one person to the next. This is due to unique provider networks, premiums, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket spending limits. In other words, comparing plans offered by different carriers may be the best way to find a Medicare Advantage plan that works for you.

Make sure that you work with a qualified Medicare broker to explore all your Part C options.

Medicare Supplement Insurance, sometimes called Medigap, is extra insurance you can buy from a private health insurance company to help pay your share of out-of-pocket costs (the 20%) in Original Medicare.

Generally you must have Original Medicare, parts A & B, to buy a Medicare Supplement Plan.

All Medigap policies are standardized. This means, they all have the same benefits no matter where you live or which insurance company you buy the policy from. There are 10 different types of Medicare Supplement plans offered in most states, which are named by letters: A-D, F, G, and K-N. Price is the only difference between plans with the same letter that are sold by different insurance companies.

"You get a 6 month “Medigap Open Enrollment” period, which starts the first month you have Medicare Part B and you’re 65 or older. During this time, you can enroll in any Medigap policy and the insurance company can’t deny you coverage due to pre-existing health problems. After this period, you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy, or it may cost more. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time enrollment.  It doesn’t repeat every year, like the Medicare Open Enrollment Period. "

- Medicare.gov

Part D is also known as Prescription drug plans (PDP). Some Medicare Advantage plans offer prescription drug coverage with their plan, this is known as a MAPD. If drug coverage is not included in your plan or you have Original Medicare with a Supplement plan, you can get a standalone drug plan. Every Part D plan has its own list (i.e., a "formulary") of covered medications. Visit Medicare.gov to explore the formulary of approved drugs for your Part D plan as well as their prices, organized by tier.

Medicare is different from Medicaid.

Medicaid is funded and run by the federal government in partnership with states to cover people with limited incomes. Depending on the state, Medicaid can be available to people below a certain income level who meet other criteria (e.g., age, disability status, pregnancy) or be available to all people below a certain income level.

Unlike Medicaid, Medicare eligibility does not depend on income.

Individuals can have both Medicare and Medicaid and are known as dual-eligibles. This means that there may be additional plan options available to you, depending on the plan availability in your county.

Make sure that you work with a qualified Medicare broker to explore all your dual-eligible options.