Hospital insurance, part Medicare

Medicare A Federally administered health insurance program covering the cost of services for people 65 years of age or older, receiving Social Security Disability Insurance payments for at least two years, or with end-stage renal disease. Medicare consists of two separate but coordinated programs-hospital insurance (Part A) and supplementary medical insurance (Part B). Health insurance protection is available to insured persons without regard to income. 

Medicare is an entitlement program and serves all eligible beneficiaries regardless of income or medical history Like Social Securify, Medicare is based on a system of social insurance. Medicare is composed of two programs. Medicare Part A covers inpatient care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. It also covers hospice care and some home health care. Part A is financed by a 1.45% payroll fax paid by bofh employees and employers (2.9% for self-employed persons). Currenf employers and employees pay for the health care of current Medicare beneficiaries, wifh the expectation that when they reach age 65 they will receive the same benefits. In the U.S., when people turn 65 years of age, they are automatically eligible for Medicare s Parf A, and they do not have to pay for the hospital insurance if they, or a spouse, paid Medicare taxes when they were working. 

With Medicare s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, also known as Medicare Part A, workers make required contributions to the fund while fhey are employed. Upon retirement, workers receive health care benefits. By law, employers and their employees are required to pay equal portions of a payroll tax, which totals 2.9% of earned income.In 1997, almost 90% of the trust fund s income was from payroll taxes. The remaining income was generated from fhe inferesf earned from the trust fund. A beneficiary s Medicare Parf A insurance is limifed to only those hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The JCAHO accreditation standards include explicit and extensive professional pharmacy acfivifies, indirectly supporting professional trends for clinical pracfice (see Chapfer 18). 

Historically, a lack of public insurance programs created obstacles to health care services. For those who could not afford to pay for private insurance, the costs associated with health care were larger than most could afford. After lengthy debate, the U.S. Congress passed legislation in 1965 that established Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare covers over 95% of the elderly in the United States as well as many individuals who are disabled. Coverage for the disabled began in 1973 and is divided in two parts 1) hospital insurance and 2) supplementary medical insurance. The total disbursement for Medicare in 1997 was 213,575 billion, and there were 36,460,143 enrollees, of which 32,164,416 were elderly. 

Medicare Part A which provides hospitalization insurance that covers inpatient hospital, home health, skilled nursing facility, psychiatric hospital, and hospice care services. 

Medicare a nationwide, federally-administered health insurance program which covers the costs of hospitalization, medical care, and some related services for eligible persons. Medicare has two parts Part A covers inpatient costs. Medicare pays for pharmaceuticals provided in hospitals, but not for those provided in outpatient settings. Also called Supplementary Medical Insurance Program. Part B covers outpatient costs for Medicare patients. 

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