Medicare is compartmentalized to serve different healthcare needs. Part A primarily covers hospital expenses, while Part B caters to outpatient and office-based services. Parts A and B combined form original Medicare. Medicare Part C, also called Medicare Advantage (MA), presents an optional strategy to consolidate the various components of Medicare. Part D is dedicated to prescription drug coverage and is an optional feature. Being cautious to prevent late enrollment penalties is vital if you don't have alternative drug coverage when signing up for Medicare.