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Medicare and Obamacare are different things, but both affect the health care of millions of Americans. Learn more about the differences between them.
Medicare and The Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) affect health insurance coverage for millions of Americans in very different ways. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for Americans over age 65 and certain people under age 65 who have qualifying conditions or disabilities. "Obamacare" is a nickname for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (also known as the ACA).
Learn more about the basics of Obamacare vs. Medicare, including the main differences between the two and how they affect you.
Medicare was first created in 1965 and now provides health coverage to more than 66 million Americans.
Medicare Part A and Part B (Original Medicare) pay for some of the costs associated with hospital and physician services.
Original Medicare requires some out-of-pocket costs, including deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and other fees. Many Medicare beneficiaries purchase a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan (also called Medigap) to help cover some of these costs. Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies, but their basic benefits are standardized by the federal government.
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Obamacare's primary intention is to give all Americans the ability to purchase affordable health insurance. There are several different parts to the law that each affected a different aspect of health insurance access. Here are some of the more well-known:
The Obamacare Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace first opened in 2013, and by 2023 more than 16 million people annually were using the exchange to enroll in coverage.
Medicare is insurance provided by the federal government for people over the age of 65 and the disabled, and Obamacare is a set of laws governing people’s access to health insurance. There is no one type of policy that is considered “Obamacare.” Under Obamacare, private insurance companies compete for business by offering affordable plans with different levels of coverage. Unlike Obamacare, coverage under Original Medicare is provided specifically by the federal government.
Only people aged 65 and up and certain younger people with qualifying disabilities (like End-Stage Renal Disease) are eligible to be on Medicare. Unlike Medicare, any U.S. citizen buying his or her own health insurance is eligible to purchase a plan off of one of the exchanges set up by Obamacare.
Medicaid is similar to Medicare but is designed for people of lower income levels. Unlike Medicare, qualifying criteria for Medicaid varies by state.
No, Medicare is not the same thing as the ACA. Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act govern what private insurance companies cover and how much they can charge.
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Christian Worstell is a licensed insurance agent and a Senior Staff Writer for MedicareSupplement.com. He is passionate about helping people navigate the complexities of Medicare and understand their coverage options.
His work has been featured in outlets such as Vox, MSN, and The Washington Post, and he is a frequent contributor to health care and finance blogs.
Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He currently lives in Raleigh, NC.
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