Am I eligible for Medicare?
What Medicare plans can I choose?

Visit the Social Security Frequently Asked Questions page to find out if you qualify for Original Medicare. We offer plans that provide benefits in addition to what you get through Original Medicare. See below for the rules that go with each type of plan.

Plan	You Are Eligible If..
Medicare Advantage Plans: Medicare HMO BlueSM PlusRx Medicare HMO Blue ValueRx Medicare PPO BlueSM PlusRx Medicare PPO Blue ValueRx	You are entitled to Medicare Part A and enrolled in Part B. You permanently live in Bristol, Barnstable, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, or Worcester counties in Massachusetts. You do not currently have end-stage renal disease. If you initiated dialysis treatments for end-stage renal disease, but have recovered your normal kidney function and no longer require a regular course of dialysis to maintain life, or have had a successful kidney transplant, or are currently a member of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, you may still join the plan. In addition, if you were a member of a Medicare Advantage plan that terminated its services after December 31, 1998, and you currently have end-stage renal disease, you may still join the plan.
Medicare Supplement Plans: Medex® Bronze Medex Core	You live in Massachusetts, and You are entitled to Medicare Part A and enrolled in Medicare Part B, or You are under age 65 and you qualify for Medicare coverage because of a disability, except for end-stage renal disease.
Medicare Part D / Prescription: Blue MedicareRxSM (PDP)	You are entitled to Medicare Part A and/or enrolled in Part B. You permanently reside within the Blue MedicareRx service area, which is Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont. You are not enrolled, or do not plan to stay enrolled, in another Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage plan with Part D prescription coverage.

Links to Helpful Sites

To learn more about your options for Medicare benefits and prescription coverage, helpful resources are available.

Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs
For additional information about other health plans for seniors available in Massachusetts, you can call the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs at 1-800-AGE-INFO (1-800-243-4636), (TTY: 1-877-610-0241), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. You can also visit www.mass.gov or the Massachusetts Division of Insurance.

The SHINE Program
The SHINE Program, Massachusetts' state health insurance program, provides free, one-on-one health insurance information, counseling, and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries of all ages. Call SHINE toll-free at 1-800-AGE-INFO (1-800-243-4636), and press "2" (TTY: 1-800-872-0166), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. You can visit their website at www.medicareoutreach.org.

Medicare Information
For information anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the federal government has a Medicare information telephone line and website. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY: 1-877-486-2048) or visit the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov.

Social Security Administration
Finally, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778) for help with questions about eligibility and enrolling in Medicare, and for questions about help with the costs of a Medicare Part D prescription plan.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for:

• People ages 65 and older

• People younger than age 65 with certain disabilities

• People of all ages with end-stage renal disease or permanent kidney failure

Medicare has three main parts:

Medicare Part A—Hospital Insurance
Medicare Part A helps cover your inpatient hospital care, including care received at critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Under certain conditions it even covers hospice careA special way of caring for people who are terminally ill, and for their family. This care includes physical care and counseling. Hospice care is covered under Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance). and some home health care.

When you enroll in Original MedicareA federally funded fee-for-service health plan that lets you go to any doctor, hospital, or other health care supplier who accepts Medicare and is accepting new Medicare patients. , you are automatically enrolled in Part A (enrollment in Part B is optional). Most people don't pay a premiumThe periodic payment to Medicare, an insurance company, or a health care plan for health care or prescription drug coverage. for Part A because they or their spouse already paid for it through payroll taxes while working. If you do not qualify for premium-free Part A, you can purchase it and have it automatically deducted from your Social Security checks.

Medicare Part B—Medical Insurance
Medicare Part B helps cover your doctors' services and outpatient hospital careMedical or surgical care that Medicare Part B helps pay for and does not include an overnight hospital stay. . It also helps cover some medical services that Medicare Part A doesn't cover, such as physical and occupational therapies, and preventive services like mammography and prostate screenings.

Enrollment in Medicare Part B is optional. However, to be eligible for a Medicare supplement or Medicare Advantage planA health plan, such as a Medicare Managed Care plan (HMO or PPO) or Private-Fee-For-Service offered by a private company with a Medicare contract. An alternative to the Original Medicare plan. , you must continue to pay your Part B premium if not otherwise paid for under Medicaid or by another third party.

Medicare Part D—Prescription Coverage
Introduced in 2006, Medicare Part D is a voluntary prescription drug program available to help people with Medicare pay a portion (or all) of the cost of their prescription medications. Part D coverage, like Original Medicare, can protect you from high and unexpected costs, so plan ahead. Even if you don't take any prescriptions today, you may need them in years to come.

Medicare Part D plans can only be purchased through a private insurance company like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. To get Medicare Part D prescription coverage, you can purchase a standalone Part D prescription plan or you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage health plan with Part D prescription coverage.