Medicare PART A paid a portion of the cost of
HOSPITAL, SKILLED NURSING, AND BLOOD OR DERIVATIVES
Medicare PART B paid a portion of the cost of
DOCTORS OFFICE VISITS, EMERGENCY ROOM, SURGEON, ANESTHETIST, ASSISTANT SURGEON
FEES, RADIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY, AMBULANCE, OUTPATIENT HOSPITAL CARE,
DOCTOR VISITS IN HOSPITAL
Over the years, the Medicare program continued to evolve and became available to more people.
Additional benefits were developed and added to the program:
For example,
1972 Chiropractic services, speech therapy and physical therapy.
Disabled people under 65 became eligible for benefits.
1982 Hospice benefits.
1984 Federal Employees including “The President”, Members of Congress
and the Federal Judiciary were added as qualified recipients.
1989 Mammograms and Pap Smears.
2006 Part D Prescription Drugs
As Medicare was not intended to pay the entire cost of medical services, something was required to
fill the gap in coverage, so insurance policies called Medicare Supplements were developed.
As time went by Medicare paid less and less of the costs, resulting in the development of improved
supplements that covered the ever increasing gap. Today the most popular supplement is Plan F