How To Purchase Medicare Insurance? 
In short , You can enroll for Medicare Part A and Part B through the social security administration -LRB- most people enroll online at their website , ssa.gov , but you can also enroll at your local ssa office -RRB- . Medicare Part A is your hospital insurance and part B is your physician insurance . Part A is premium-free for most people . Part B requires a monthly premium -LRB- $ 104.90 for 2014 - may be higher for persons with higher incomes -RRB- . The deductible for Part A in 2014 is $ 1,216 - Part B 's deductible is $ 147 . You 're also generally responsible for about 20 % of the healthcare expenses that are incurred - Medicare only covers approximately 80 % of the costs . You may want to consider buying a Medicare supplement plan -LRB- a.k.a. Medigap plan -RRB- to cover the other 20 % . Medigap plans -LRB- commonly known as Medicare supplement plans -RRB- work with Original Medicare -LRB- Parts A & B -RRB- to fill the `` gaps '' that it does n't cover . Original Medicare covers about 80 % of your healthcare expenses . A Medigap plan can cover a portion or all of the other 20 % , depending on which one you get . That 's a BIG pro . You also are n't restricted to networks , you do n't need referrals to see specialists , any doctor that accepts Medicare will accept the Medigap plan , you can apply for a different plan at any point throughout the year -LRB- if you want a different carrier or different benefits -RRB- , and they are guaranteed renewable ! The only con is that it typically costs more than an Advantage plan . Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance . Thanks very much . 