"When I signed in for my yearly mammogram, the receptionist announced with a wry smile, 'No co-pay this time; it's free.' We both knew that it's really not free," says Marilyn M. Singleton, a board-certified anesthesiologist who sits on the board of directors of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Tucson, Ariz. 'To understand whether free means free, let's look at Medicare as an example. Medicare has four parts. Part A covers hospital admissions, post-hospitalization, short-term skilled nursing, and hospice. Part B covers outpatient medical services such as physician visits, lab tests, and outpatient surgery. Parts A and B are called traditional Medicare. Part C (Medicare Advantage) is private HMOs. Part D is prescription drug coverage. Technically, all parts are optional.
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机译：“当我登录我的年度乳房X光照片时，接待员含糊地宣布：'这次没有共同付款；它是免费的。'我们俩都知道它真的不是免费的，”位于亚利桑那州图森的美国内科医生与外科医生协会理事长玛丽莲·辛格尔顿（Marilyn M. Singleton）说，“要了解免费是否意味着免费，让我们以Medicare为例。医疗保险分为四个部分。 A部分涵盖住院，住院后，短期熟练护理和临终关怀。 B部分涵盖门诊医疗服务，例如医师就诊，实验室检查和门诊手术。 A部分和B部分称为传统医疗保险。 C部分（Medicare Advantage）是私人HMO。 D部分是处方药的承保范围。从技术上讲，所有零件都是可选的。
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