22 Things You Need to Know About Medicare

In 2016, almost 60 million people were covered by Medicare Parts A and B, including just over 50 million elderly people as well as 8.8 million disabled Americans. Medicare provides essential coverage for care you need as you age -- but it's a commonly misunderstood program because it doesn't always provide the coverage people expect.

To ensure you understand how Medicare will -- and will not -- provide for your health needs, check out the following 22 Medicare facts.

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