§ 7.4 Medicare Benefits

• Library: Rights of Foreign Nationals (OSBar) (2020 Ed.)

§ 7.4 MEDICARE BENEFITS

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for (1) people 65 years of age or older, (2) certain younger people with disabilities, and (3) people with end-stage renal disease. See 42 USC §§ 426-426-1. Unlike Medicaid, Medicare is not a means-tested program; however, Oregon provides assistance for Medicare-related costs to qualifying lower-income people, as discussed below.

Medicare benefits are not contemplated as factors in public-charge determinations under the finalized public-charge rule. However, Medicaid assistance with Medicare costs would be a factor. See § 7.1-2(a) for a longer discussion of the public-charge rule.

There are two core Medicare benefits: Part A (42 USC §§ 1395c-1395i-5), generally referred to as the hospital benefit, and Part B (42 USC §§ 1395j-1395w-6), which covers physicians and most other health services. Beneficiaries with either Part A or Part B coverage can enroll in Part D (42 USC §§ 1395w-101-1395w-154), the prescription drug benefit. For lower-income people, Part D offers a Low Income Subsidy ("Extra Help") for prescriptions. See Medicare.gov, Find your level of Extra Help...