Medicare Terms – B

Basic Services

Treatments and procedures that are relatively straightforward for the dentist and include fillings and non-surgical tooth extractions.

Before Gap

Once you’ve met your deductible, you will pay a copay or coinsurance for each medication based on which tier the drug falls into.

Benefit Period 

The way that Original Medicare measures your use of hospital and skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. A benefit period begins the day you’re admitted as an inpatient in a hospital or SNF. The benefit period ends when you haven’t gotten any inpatient hospital care (or skilled care in an SNF) for 60 days in a row. If you go into a hospital or an SNF after one benefit period has ended, a new benefit period begins. You must pay the inpatient hospital deductible for each benefit period. There’s no limit to the number of benefit periods.

Beneficiary 

This is a person who has health care insurance through a Medicare or Medicare program.

Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center

The company that acts on behalf of Medicare to collect and manage information on other types of insurance or coverage that a person with Medicare may have, and determine whether the coverage pays before or after Medicare. This company also acts on behalf of Medicare to obtain repayment when Medicare makes a conditional payment, and the other payer is determined to be primary.

Brand-Name Drug

A prescription drug that is made and sold by the company that originally researched and developed the drug. A brand-name drug has the same active ingredients and formula as its generic version. Generally, other companies cannot make generic versions of brand-name drugs until after the patent on the brand-name drug has expired.