What Is Medicare?

Medicare is a federal insurance program that provides health insurance for people 65 and older and individuals younger than 65 who may qualify due to a disability. Original Medicare is a term used to describe traditional Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. Medicare Part C, Part D, and Supplemental Insurance are coverage options in addition to or instead of Original Medicare.

If you already get benefits from Social Security, you’ll get Medicare Part A and Part B automatically when you’re first eligible and don’t need to sign up.
If you’re over 65 (or turning 65 in the next 3 months) and are not already getting benefits from Social Security, you need to sign up to get Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance). You won’t get Medicare automatically.

There are 5 different types of Medicare coverage — Part A, B, C, and D, as well as Medicare Supplement plans. Click on an option below to learn more about these types of Medicare coverage.