Many of the ads are hard sell, placed primarily by insurance brokers representing specific plans that want to boost their enrollment numbers. But many of the ads make promises that are easy to misinterpret. The Medicare TV commercials will be all over the cable channels that draw an older audience.

So, these commercials are not from Medicare or the government. In fact, a large Medicare agency pays Namath to advertise Advantage policies that beneficiaries can purchase from their agents. With Advantage plans, Medicare pays carriers to take on the beneficiary's risk.

Effective July 10, 2023, any material or activity which mentions any benefit – including vision, dental, hearing or premium reduction – will be considered marketing by CMS and, as such, must be submitted via CMS's HPMS system for review and approval.

Medicare doesn't typically cover 100% of your medical costs. Like most health insurance, Medicare generally comes with out-of-pocket costs including copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. As you'll learn in this article, Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)

Part A (Hospital Insurance) costs. $0 for most people (because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working - generally at least 10 years). If you get Medicare earlier than age 65, you won't pay a Part A premium. This is sometimes called “premium-free Part A.”

$4,660 How long you stay in the initial coverage period depends on your drug costs and your plan's benefit structure. For most plans in 2023, the initial coverage period ends after you have accumulated $4,660 in total drug costs.

$8,300 In 2023, the out-of-pocket limit for Medicare Advantage plans may not exceed $8,300 for in-network services and $12,450 for in-network and out-of-network services combined.

Some of the items and services Medicare doesn't cover include:

• Long-term care (also called. custodial care.
• Most dental care.
• Eye exams (for prescription glasses)
• Dentures.
• Cosmetic surgery.
• Massage therapy.
• Routine physical exams.
• Hearing aids and exams for fitting them.

For a qualifying inpatient stay, Medicare Part A covers 100 percent of hospital-specific costs for the first 60 days of the stay - after you pay the deductible for that benefit period.

If you don't get premium-free Part A, you pay up to $506 each month. If you don't buy Part A when you're first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65), you might pay a penalty. Most people pay the standard Part B monthly premium amount ($164.90 in 2023).

Part B is optional. Part B helps pay for covered medical services and items when they are medically necessary. Part B also covers some preventive services like exams, lab tests, and screening shots to help prevent, find, or manage a medical problem. Cost: If you have Part B, you pay a Part B premium each month.

What Other Changes Are Being Made to Part D? As of 2023, the out-of-pocket cost of insulin products is limited to no more than $35 per month in all Part D plans. In addition, adult vaccines covered under Part D, such as the shingles vaccine, are covered with no cost sharing.