Medicare Web Site Answers Many Questions

July 1, 2005

Medicare benefits are something most of us don’t think about every day. However, sooner or later, we need answers about Medicare, and we need them now! That’s when it’s nice to know help is at your fingertips.

There is an easy-to-use source for the answers to many questions about health care services for seniors. It is the Medicare Web site, www.medicare.gov.

The site serves as the consumer Web site for the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It provides access to a great deal of information about senior health care. And you’ll find answers to questions about enrollment, benefits, and services and much, much more…

Check the “Participating Physician Directory” to find Medicare physicians’ in your area. Information includes specialty, education, and even maps and directions to the office.

Search for supplemental health care insurance coverage in a section called “Medical Personal Plan Finder.” It runs through a series of questions to help compare health plan options in your area. The site also tells you where such coverage can be purchased.

In the “Publications” section, you can download or order specific publications. Especially helpful is a 24-page booklet called Medicare Basics-A Guide for Caregivers. It features eight decision points related to health and overall well being of seniors.

All this information and a great deal more is a click away at www.medicare.gov. For those without Internet access, similar information is available by calling Medicare’s toll-free number 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Media Contact:
Deb Innis - (515) 223-2859

This material was prepared by the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Iowa, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 7SOW-IA-PRNH-09/03-016