Overview

Original Medicare is comprised of Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). Medicare Part C (also called Medicare Advantage) is an alternative to Original Medicare sold by private  insurance companies; it typically offers additional benefits. Medicare Supplement (also called Medigap) fills in some of Original Medicare's coverage gaps, but cannot be combined with Medicare Advantage. Medicare Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

    Benefit Period

    is the way the Original Medicare program measures your use of inpatient hospital and skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. It begins the day that you enter a hospital or SNF and ends when you have not received inpatient hospital or Medicare-covered skilled care in a SNF for 60 days in a row.
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