Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD). Our trained staff can help you find the coverage and plans that are right for you.
Call our advice line to talk to a specialist about any question you have, including questions about our Medicaid and Medicare services.
Our Advice Line provides Medicare beneficiaries with free, objective, health insurance information and one-on-one counseling through a program called the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP). Our OSHIIP-trained staff can help answer your questions about Medicare, Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), Medicare Advantage options, Medicare supplement insurance, long-term care insurance, and other health insurance matters.
Original Medicare Part A Hospital | Part B Medical + Medicare Supplement + Prescription Drug Coverage
Medicare Advantage Plans (HMOs and PPOs Part C)
Part D is Medicare’s comprehensive prescription drug coverage benefit and is available to anyone eligible for Medicare Part A or Part B. People with Medicare may enroll in Part D coverage through either a stand-alone plan or a Medicare Advantage plan. People on Medicare who choose not to enroll and have no other drug coverage may pay more for late enrollment.
Plans change every year. So can your health. Even if you are happy with your current Medicare plan, compare all your prescription drug and health coverage options. You might find a plan with better coverage.
Individuals needing assistance with enrollment may call Ohio’s Medicare hotline at 1-800-686-1578, review the Medicare & You 2024 handbook (located below), or visit www.medicare.gov/plan-compare.
If you are struggling with your prescription drug costs, Extra Help is a Medicare program that can help people with limited income and resources pay for Medicare drug coverage (Part D) premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other out-of-pocket costs.
A call to our Advice Line can help you determine if you qualify to save an average of $3,900 on your prescription drug costs through the Medicare “Extra Help” program, also known as Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) or Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs).
Resources include money in a checking or savings account, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Resources don’t include your home, car, household items, burial plot, burial expenses (up to $1,500 per person), or life insurance policies. Income includes any money received from social security, pensions, employment, interest and more.
If you qualify for Extra Help, Medicare will pay:
In 2023, drug costs for most people who qualify were no more than $4.16 for each generic drug and $10.35 for each brand name drug. Look on the Extra Help letters you receive, or contact your plan to find out your exact costs.
