Making Sense of Medicare: A Simple Breakdown of the Four Parts

by Gerie Brinkerhoff | Jul 3, 2025 | Medicare Questions | 0 comments

Hi there! I’m Gerie Brinkerhoff with Journey Insurance Solutions, and if Medicare feels overwhelming or confusing right now, you’re not alone — and you’re in the right place. My goal is to make things clear, calm, and confidence-building.

Let’s walk through the basics together.

Part A – Hospital Insurance

Part A helps cover the big stuff — like hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and some home health services.

Good news: If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes while working, you probably won’t have to pay a premium for Part A.

Part B – Medical Insurance

This is the part that helps cover doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, and (again) some home health care.

Unlike Part A, you will pay a monthly premium for Part B.

**Together, Part A and Part B are what we call Original Medicare.

Part C – Medicare Advantage

Instead of Original Medicare, you might choose a Medicare Advantage plan (also called Part C). These are offered by private insurance companies and include everything in Part A and B — plus extra perks.

Many plans include:

Dental

Vision

Hearing

Gym memberships

Prescription drug coverage (yes — sometimes even Part D rolled in)

It’s basically a bundle of benefits, designed to simplify and expand your coverage.

Part D – Prescription Drug Coverage

Part D helps cover the cost of your prescription medications. You can add it to Original Medicare, or it might be included in a Medicare Advantage plan.

Let’s Recap:

Parts A & B = Original Medicare (You can choose to pair with a Medigap plan)

Part C = Medicare Advantage (optional private plan alternative)

Part D = Prescription Drug Coverage

Every part comes with its own set of premiums, copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. The trick is knowing what coverage best matches your needs, budget, and peace of mind — and that’s where I come in.

No-Cost, No-Pressure Guidance

If you’re ready to look at your options, I’d love to walk through them with you. We’ll keep it simple, personal, and honest. There’s no cost and no pressure — just clear answers and a plan you can feel good about.

Schedule your complimentary consultation.
Let’s take the confusion out of Medicare — together.

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