Navigating Medicare and Medicaid, 2005: Resource Guides for People with Disabilities, Their Families, and Their Advocates
The Kaiser Family Foundation released new guides, prepared by Bob Williams and Henry Claypool of Advancing Independence and Jeff Crowley of the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, that explain the role of Medicare and Medicaid for roughly 20 million children, adults and seniors with disabilities. These guides offer a basic introduction to the Medicare and Medicaid programs, including answers to questions such as:
- How do people with disabilities apply for coverage under Medicare or Medicaid?
- What is Medicare’s policy for covering durable medical equipment?
- Where can people with disabilities turn if they need help in applying for Medicaid?
- How do people with disabilities appeal Medicare coverage decisions?
- Can a person with a disability who has Medicare and/or Medicaid be employed and still keep their coverage?
- These guides are available online in both PDF and HTML formats at the following URL.
www.kff.org/medicare/
| Medicare Home page |
Contains all currently available information about Medicare and its benefits.
www.medicare.gov/ |
| Medicare Claims, Appeals Information, and Medicare Summary Notices |
| Includes information on how to file a Medicare claim, how to recognize, avoid, and prevent Medicare fraud, provides a short explanation as to how to file an appeal or grievance if you have a complaint and contains a listing of Medicare appeals forms that you can view and print. |
| Medicare’s Dialysis Facility Compare |
This section of the Medicare site gives detailed information about Medicare approved dialysis facilities.
www.medicare.gov/Dialysis/Home.asp |
| Medicare Eligibility, Enrollment, & Premiums |
Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for people 65 years of age and older, some disabled people under 65 years of age, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant).
www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility/home.asp |
| Medicare’s Helpful Contacts Page |
| The phone numbers section of the Medicare site allows you to access phone numbers to help you to get answers to specific Medicare related questions that you may have or to contact a specific organization. |
| Medicare Health Plan Compare |
| Medicare’s Health Plan Compare helps you obtain detailed information on Medicare’s health plan options. By “comparison shopping,” you can find the plans that are best for you. |
| Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare |
The primary purpose of this tool is to provide detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/Home.asp |
| Medicare’s Nursing Homes Overview |
| The purpose of this section of the Medicare site is to provide visitors with information relating to Medicaid and Medicare certified nursing homes throughout the United States. It includes information on payment and patient rights, and a nursing home checklist which will help you evaluate the nursing homes that you visit. |
| Medicare Personal Plan Finder |
| Includes information about Medicare health plan options. |
| Medicare Plan Choices |
| Medicare offers you different ways to get your Medicare benefits. These different options are called Medicare health plans. One option is the Original Medicare Plan. Some private companies contract with the Medicare program to offer Medicare health plans. These are called Medicare + Choice (“Medicare plus Choice”) plans. |
| Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Programs |
| This page provides information on public and private programs that offer discounted or free medication, as well as Medicare health plans that include prescription coverage. |
| Medicare Publications |
You can view, print, or order publications online or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). The fastest way to get a publication is to use the Medicare search tool and then view and print it. If you order online or through 1-800-MEDICARE, you will receive your order within 3 weeks.
www.medicare.gov/Publications/home.asp |
| Medicare’s Supplier Directory |
This section of the Medicare site provides names, addresses, and contact information for suppliers that provide services or products under the Medicare program.
http://www.medicare.gov/Supplier/Home.asp |
| Medigap Compare |
| An interactive tool for Medicare beneficiaries and people who assist them with their care. It is designed to help you find the insurance companies in your state that sell Medigap (Medicare supplemental insurance) plans, and it gives you information on how to contact the insurance companies. Medigap Compare also provides general information about Medigap insurance to help you with your health care choices. |
| Your Medicare Coverage |
This section of the Medicare site provides information about your health care benefits in the Original Medicare plan (sometimes referred to as “fee-for-service”).
www.medicare.gov/Coverage/Home.asp |
*Also see: Module 7~ Legal and Financial Planning – Medicare (on this site)
