Whats the difference between medicare and health insurance?

Answer 1

You or your employer pay for health insurance. Medicare is government funded (from tax $$) insurance for people who are age 65 or over or who are disabled.

Answer 2

Medicare is health insurance also, for people who have reached a certain age. After a person turns 65 he must go on medicare. If you're covered by other health insurance it's usually primary (pays first) and then Medicare pays as a supplement. Retired military are covered by Champus until age 65, and then must go to Medicare, and Champus becomes secondary (now called Tri-Care).
Payment for Medicare premiums is taken out of people's Social Security checks.
Because Medicare covers so many older people, they have enough power to make hospitals strive to pass certain levels of care, because of they are not accredited by JCAH (Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospitals), Medicare won't pay for patient care, and other insurers usually all follow suite. So they stand to lose a lot of business.
Medicare decides what they'll pay for certain procedures, and other insurance carriers would like to match it, but they've lowered what they'll okay so much that some physicians will no longer accept Medicare patients, (since what they pay doesn't cover their costs).

Answer 3

Medicare is healthcare cost coverage given by the federal government. It is provided at age 65 and to people declared disabled. Insurance is a private industry and it paid for by paying premiums. What each plan pays for may vary.

Answer 4

About $5000.00 a year.