Decoding Medicare’s Many Parts

You’ll find an alphabet soup of letters when you learn about Medicare — Parts A, B, C and D for Medicare and another 10 letters that refer to Medigap plans, the supplemental insurance that can cover many of your expenses under original Medicare.

Part A handles hospitalization; Part B deals with doctors; Part C is Medicare Advantage, private plans that combine many services in one place with some restrictions; and Part D covers much of your prescription drug costs. Medigap’s options let you tailor lower premiums with higher out-of-pocket costs or vice versa.

Dive into this series to help you choose the right combination.