Table Of ContentFAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF OLDER ADULTS
^ ° '^
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M
E D C A
I
Basics
A Guide for Caregivers
Ak yiiiir parriiis, uriindparcius, relatives or friends face health care
JciiMitns, ihes' imj;ht nei-J to rely on you for help. Medicare can be an
mm
mil'oii.MM I. III many o( those healthcaredecisions. Butatthis point,
youmaynothelamili.ii vmiIi Mcilu.in'haMcsorotherseniorservices.This
hooktet isforyou.
MeJictirfBasicshi|ihli|ihisiii;hl "ilecision points" related tothe liealth or
overall well heinu ol an older person, lor each of these decision points,
you'llfindhasicinlormationahout Medicateandsuggestionsonfindingmore
drtiiilcdinforinniioK. Wordsyou see m holdaredelincd in theglossary.
Although M<;iu,ire (l.isics is directed to issues for the elderly, younger
people Willi disabilities who have Medicare might face similar needs and
issues, Ihispiihluatummightalsobehelpfulinidentifyingservicesforthem.
Mfthrjt*BusiesrxflainstheMedicarrprogram. Itisnotalegaldocument.
Theoitu1.WA(r,(i..irepntgrampntvisiomartcontamedintherelevantlaws,
regulations,andrulings.
•IS•*»*«4«<V*^•f»*<•««^*<1*»«wUwS»Spm^MiiB.w«nvn»n*•Mwnvvciiww,S»**nwf,c*tewlnhi«««c(n,MNoVdCo»**XI»MrStanvmuuanMm«VmplK^ffndarM*n<ntBl*n^OMpon-
Ma.3
Ml
1.0ol
Decision Points
Learningthe basics. 4
Planning for a healthy future. 6
Seeking second opinions. Chronic illness. 8
Paying for outpatient prescription drugs. 10
Help with hospitalization and other billing questions. 12
Home health care and community services. 14
Nursing homes and housing options. 16
Considering hospice care. 18
Nextsteps
Glossaryofterms
QUICK FINDER
www.medicare.gov
HsipfulContacts—OrgantzatjonsyoucancalltollfrGcor PrescriptionDrugAssfstoncaPrograms Poinitiijouto
wpevorpwl.emewdiltchaMreed.igcoavrei.-.tIihiesoafnficeiaaslyU-iSo-Guosev,ercnommperneifiweenbssiivteefor rheelapchmbaykee-hmeaailltfhorcahreealdtehcicsairoensinffoorrfmaamtiiloynaannddfmrfioenrdmsa.iionio (fi)ffifi>jg*'r..itrno^i\)lflui.\iil\fofffii.-Urod)nMci,'(ijjiJinlti!c)iroirfrin;uutpatlfililprrjuririplion
resource Checkout: NursingHomeCompare—LocateMedicareand/orMedicaid YoucangotInformationandholpwithyrturMndlcuro
certifiednursingfacilitiesinyourareaandcompareseveral questions24-hoursadaybycalling1-flOOMEDICAnE
MedicarePersonalPlanFinder—KelpsljoucompareMedicare qualityratings. (l-e00'6a3'4227).7TVusersshouldcalll'Q??-4e6-204e.
oapntdioMnesdiigncalpud(iMnegdiMceadriecSarueppHleeamletnhtPlIannssu.rOarnicgei)namlMyeoduircaarreea Pdouwbnlliocaadt.io{nTsh—eF'rMeeedMiecdarieca&reYopuu'blhiacantdiboonsoktoCvMiSewP,uobr,deNro,.or
10050offersagoodgeneralreference.]
START HERE BASIC INFORMATION
Learning
the basics. iItnvwti-lrlaubrevnmcicrcnpaarreynttsohlaevaer.nTwhheatinktionrdnianliuinon Mfoerdipceaorpleeisagtehe6.fSedoerraolldhere.alItthailsnosucroavnecrespcreortgarianm
ilir Mccliv.iiclaid IS iirivaie. Your parcnistan younger peoplewith disabilitiesand people with
Jink on iliiir own toverane l>y tallini!ihc- Hnd-Stage Renal Disease.
Soiial Siiiiniy AdiniiiiMration (SSA) htlpiineor GETTINGMEDICARE: Ifyourparentsare65 oroverand
llirir IikjI Soiial Secnntv DIfiie. Totontaci the arealready gettingSocialSecurity benefits,theywill
SSA,»ce IiiiilOut More,hclow. beenrolledautomatically in Medicare. A Medicare
Illiheik on their hehall,ask ihenito |Oin you cardwill bemailed loeachofyourparentsabout
cm ihelall. Dlherwise,iheycanaiithorl/ethe i monthsbeforetheir6.Sth birthday.Thecardwill
Medkaie intorni.ition tobe released loyou. showwhetherthey have Part Acoverage (Hospital
Insurance)and PartB (Medical Insurance). Most
Illiloso,ihey'll needtoeonipleu-.in peopledonoi haveto pay a monthly premium for
I."SuSAMiApeSpsansniIidfnnttl^Mmohieeidn1n1uia4ia)i.oitlei.\n.ResaipIbnrthuueilissaierlnbotleraontmreinfiviiseia"sSlSlflAorowoislmmh\9b('(loOv-UtoUhr-tn4oit.he owMroerdakiicsnapgro.eusMPeoarpstatiAdpewMoehpdeliencadthroeevp'attayuxreanspw6rh5eimlbeieuctamhue)sf'eorwtePhraeeryt B.
I.Irevjiiesl ihesetonus,seeHindOut More,below. ItyourparentsarenotgettingSocialSecuritybenefits
*KlNOU: Inaddilioulo.Mediearecoverage,your wwohreknintgh)eythteuyrnwi6l5l h(faovreetxoamspilgne,upifftohreyMeadriecsatrilel.
wiviotehiiais(oinrai\n'erhaevmeplaoyMeerd,igo.ripoilpioelriciyn,saurhaenacleththpalian C'all theSSAto findout more.
canalsohelppa\ torhealthcareneeds. Yourstatehasprogramsthatpaysomeorallof
How .111- myretlrad theMedicare premiums forpeoplewith limited
p^iifius |uu|lngfor incomes. C^all \our state's Medical Assistance Office
ft lIU'll IumIIMIMIf' tolearnabout MedicareSavingsProgramsorlookat
www.niedicare.govandselectpublications.
Wli^tt soil ol covciagc
dotheyhave?" DIDYOUKNOW?MedicaidisnotthesameasMedicare.
Medicaid isa joint federal and state program that
helpswith medicalcosts forsome people with low
incomesand limited resources. Coveragevaries
fromSlatetostate..\personmayhavebothMedicaid
and Medicare (thisis referred toasdualeligible).
FIND OUT MORE
CENTERSFORMEDICARE Tov*r1fyMedicarecovtra|e:calltheSocial TogetaSSA1696-U4form:calltheSSAat
lookInilvMttMliNiMnmiomuinn ftMEDICAIDSERVICES SfcurnyAdministration[SSA]atIS00??2- 1-800???-l?13 Of,downloadfrom
liboulMfilmraMwmf.nwdtw«40v www.int4lcir».|0v.Thissitrhas»fulltangr Ul3 Or,gotowww.ssa.gov www.ssa.gov
OiallI400MEDICMtCIl«)0«U4t;^1 otMrdicatrtntomtniiwi TogataMadlcaraCHS1696form,the TofmdoutaboutMedicareSavings
s|1mttynIiWSiMyKi,ino4NBw|k,Mhoui«<iitas), SP>Nwri^iitMucmdsict*wriemCi*t£t<KbKiititt\M^*.dEtnCrJoilrelmceonvtwaangdf "caAlplp1o-in8t0m0eMnEtDo1fCRAeRpEre|sle-n8tDa0iBi3«3'-tao2r2m7).Or POfrfoigcreetYnosu:ccaalnlygeoturthsetantuemMbeedircfalroAmssyiosutrance
downloadfromwww.madlcara.gov localtelephonedirectoryorcall
1-800MEDIURE[1-800-633-422?).
-
MEDICARE OPTIONS \ ~
MEDICAREPARTA ModlcaroPortB
[usualkjnopteinuim) (pntmlum)hp||)!ipiuj
Tdiofdfaeyr'esntMwcdaiycsartto-giestaMlieoduilccahroeicbee.neMfeitdsi,caasreweolflfearss helhopsspiptaaylfcoairei,npsaktiilelnetd tllN*AIIMIKWOXUMM tiinlilt|iilnotcltiniiniti'h!nUn}ptlvtincltmc,orn,
givingthetoolsneededtomakethehesiclioice. nufsingfacilitijcare JoltnDoo iiiultiuint)othormodlcnl
followingahospitalstay, OOOOO-OOOO-A HtHVlcotiwhonihtiijnro
MPtoaerrdtiPcalairrt(eMAeh.dasiHcotawwleovIpenarsru,trs:aPnaPcraetr)t.BAMr(oeHqsoutsipripetesaolaplImenosdnurotahnnlcoyet)paanyd hospicheocmaereh,eaalntdhscoarmee. .HMOESDPIICTAALL O((''AAMMIIA11)) 00//0H1I lnllmlInU- inirtjlr.iillijni)C(nitu)ri|,
premium.SomepeoplehaveonlyPartAorPartB, r-
butmostpeoplehaveboth. Niedicaredoesn'tpayfor NotcovorodbyPartAoiPuitU:outpQtlontprescription
outpatient prescriptiondrugs. dftigs(exceptInvuiijliiiilteillIicuitikIomcok],long'torm
TheOriginal MedicarePlanisapay-pcr-visithealth custodialcatoInonuitilnghomo.
pholsapnittahla,tloertsoptehoeprlehewailtthhMcaerdeicparroevigdoertowahnoyadcoccetpotrs, SnapshotofCoverageUnderOriginalMedicare HMooldplucoProoy DoMooornl'lclaPreay
Medicare. Medicarepaysitsshareofan approved
amountandthecardholderpaystherest. Doctor'tCirf SecondOpinionbyoMetllcare>ApprovadOoctor
Medicare+ChoicePlanssuchasMedicareManaged
CarePlans(forexampleHMOs)andMedicarePrivate Long-termCare CustodialCare
Fec-for-ServicePlansareavailableinmanyareasof
thecountry.Ifyourparentsjoinone,theywillget LaboratorySarvlcas ClinicalLaborsioryServlcoa
theirMedicare-coveredbenefitsthroughtheplan.
Theymaygetextrabenefits,likecoveragefor Emargancy LmsrgencyCaro
outpatientprescriptiondrugsoradditionaldaysin
thehospital. HealthCare HealthCflroWhileTravollngOullldeIhoU.S.
MsuOpRpElOePmTeInOtNS;inMsuerdaingcaepsoplodlicbiyesprairveatMeediincsuarraence Therapy iJiitpatiemMontalHealthCaro{SQXufii\}\uwiiiiiiinuuDt|
companiestofill "gaps" in Original Medicare Plan
ccoovienrsaugrea,ncseucahndasdeoduutc-toifb-lpeosc,keotrcfoosrtsserfvoirceMsednioctare PeopleatRIak SomeDiabetesServicoa/Supplloa V
coMfoe-vdpeiorgcekadeptbypcroMesemtdsiiuicmfascr.heo.TsheTehcreoessetmsapeoyxlicbceeieedssectvhaerenalmroednditufchfeelryeonutt- Th(ieirrrsacppueelciuintfiijcc(idcsbohinjordeiiisti)if|o^onVr-s>p)aerooplmeewtithdiubotes, •
Medigapplanoptionsavailable in yourstate. TheOriginalMedicarePlantypicallycovofaflfJ[joftisuiu11 a\U)v/Mi>cijblA'ldlllodiiluuvlMumv/llliip|)lij.
SelectPublications.'Medicare&You*and SelectParticipatingPhysicianDirectory, www.aoa.gov Me(li(-.jid,;iii'JyourcU)Wn\AroaAgencyon
'GuidetoHealthInsuranceforPeoplewith LocateMedicare-participatingphysiciansin IhtIJSAdfninitjtrationonAgingsiteoffersa Af/inji(AAA)program,litcalll-OUa-G/'MllG.
Medicare:ChoosingaMedigapPolicy.' yourarea. widevarietyofinforrnaiionfortsentorsand www.nahu.org
SLeelaercntaMbeoduitcaMreediPcearrseonhaelalPtlhanplFainndcehr.oices SIenlseucrtaHneclepfAuslsiCsotnatnacctes:PrSotgatreamHsea[lStHhIP). cwawrwe.geilvderasr,cairncal.ugdoivngtheEldcrcaroLocator. HIi^futdiifijinaa)pApsoliiicoicci'ffiiiaironeoufsuHaolallythpuUrncdehrawsreidters.
inyourarea Learnaboutadditionalinsuranceavailablein UseiheAoAEldercareLocatorlolearnabout throughanagent,Select"FindanAgent"to
yourstate. privateinsurance,tornrnunityprograms, locateanagentnearyou.
—
"
START HERE BASIC INFORMATION
Planning for a
healthy future. l-iiulinftthai thepeopleyou'vealwaysreliedon At thispoint,you may beaskinj; "what'sa
may now nrnl your helpcm beIi.ird. Bcunito SHIP?" It'syourState Health Insurance
jihsrss(lit-Miii.iiitin \n i.ilkirif; withthi-m -wul Assistance Program (SHIP). And, it isyour
othfi t.nnily nu-inluisahoui tlii-ii healthtare one-stop resourceforspecific questionsabout
nreJt..AkwellAkpermi^Monloactontheirbehalf. Medicare-related issues. Youcan findthe
telephonenumber forthe SHIPin yourstate by
Helpthem loiiison preventivecare: healthy goingtowww.medicare.gov under "Helpful
lilrsi\lrs,MilhASrt'^uLii .uti\ii\,eatinga Contacts."
\.iiit-iy >( lodik,anil inanitainint;social
Miitntviionsart- nnpoiiani tohealth in laterlite. Youcan meet with a local representativeortalk
AKt), rennndthemtoprotect their health by toa Niedicareexperton the phone forpersonal
iisitifi Mtiliiare's preventivecareservices. assistance. A SHIPgivesfreehealth insurance
CpiLiAvNacNyO,WasWkihtiil^etihteimsitompsohratraentsotmoebepesresnosniatliveto cooruntoseflaimniglayndangduifdrainecnedst,olpiekeopyloeu,wiwthhoMedhiacvaere
Mifdtinationabout doctors,medications,and authorization tohelpan olderrelativewith
Medicarequestions. (See page4 forinformation
medical historieswillhelpvoii better pl.m tor
aboutAppointmentofRepresentative forms).
then healthlareneeds.
wlaalnktiai>nydoduorn'it>ldwcarnrtelyatoiuvetsoadboo.utSowmheatpetohpelye TgehneercaolunqsueelsotrisonasrayboouurtShHoIspPitoaflfiizcaetcioann.answer
iltAide toauthorizea lamily memberortrusted Medicarechoices, and local programsthatcan
"hlI;\M.)IiiVMj.llihlijiu^»lM'i.,IimniMIuuO)lI|i.'i.IIm'iIiiI.Urili-n ilU| Io(rI.ti.iolnoneeaig.naddrcuIai(rhmoaiyvb(molSiaue\HikIlIePiS')olotna«hefteeoeiirdhHoemie(cooairulAs^iteihihoonisraInnnfaPseobouryomrwuaatetttnrnicoetolhnfue.AaislAristlitmisoetcdraainnrceceaye.l olAyMtetoetatuderorirnrcSnaamdeHrodyIeriPetpciroioaosnnbccaaeoledugruthonreoelltsdiph.v.aiptnWTlgahhnceweeeieynldtlscosyatoasnotunaadrblhtesaPofvodoeiwhrseeacslruopslosuyfetodiu,ons.
Ilih.ioiHliHboelwoii.eiiithIihnegsIp dd,iuMie\e*ov..tIiIdiViMeNi^svUwaNbsiiohaut\loitMihnnej;ikewmlialdtli\o(etas.hheetaaill\ttihhngccaawrrieellatshdegvivaNin-ce StheeeSthHeIPinspihdoenbeacnkumcboevrerfoorfythoiusrbsotoaktle.etto find
gelworse?" want—and\vhi»may speak torthem—itthev
(.aunot speak torthemselves. Ajjain,yourSHIP
«,au assiM \ou.
UNO out MORE
byffRiooono»nodtitMoacSswrHtlIwtaI4ttw*eo:.;lmStif&omrlcdtittmhhcdrpmtiSvlhHwiBIiomPdvoc,pih*t\ti<*wtcfpw^k\\ncvi'ou\tv\WmwpmMioiullmtthwliws wSCpM(.Hiw^Nfi(lwvti\.i,-d.t'mrim»tiliio\dv-iHfktwi>«1i'lrrtRa*A>tn,ls'l.l.Ci>Otvsll.e^'n-svv.i'I ii".IwSItieSCttlMShecSt wSMoCfwerha«eiprrgnec.igohMvpilrrncergpa^.raNeogegTreeih|dve5si.0An*gAa3RnSPdpelesoaul*dneCcn»ismrebegryvGgiepuvsriiodntveghi,efdoinrnegeds wSNPaeadlwltvaweiin.cocntnceiainRlaegrnAp«fdlgoolirrcivtaoTisnnonctmgaeao.ncorfdtrorsrogPwrCf.oao'rdruetacghtiposvus:ibenl"gicCcaaarntiinnoggnTfwooirdtaahyn,
LocilttdirctnInfo:Call160044??80.^ inlormation,educaiton.advocacy,and olderrelativeorfriendfromtheNational
(0liiiilouthott(0cix«*ttyoiiiA<rjiAj^>cy commut^rtgOicall1-800-424-3410 AllianceforCaregiving,
INFORMATION TO GATHER
COMMUNITY OPTIONS
•SocialSecuritynumber •Curfonthaalthcoi\dltlon»,
•MedicareClaimNumberandMedicare tr«a(m«n(i,andaymptoma
Ifyouseeyourselftakingagreaterrolein planenrollment •HIaioryoFpaa(haalthproblama
gcaoroidngtifmoerytoougratohledrerinrefloartmiavetsi,onnoawbomutay bea •Ointchleurdiinngsulroanngc-eteprlmancaaraenIdnpsoulriacnycneumbara, 'Annallarglaaorfoodroatrlcilona
communityservices.Taketim—etoassessyour • ContactInformationforhealthcare •cElmaarrgyg,ahnocuyacionngtamcatnaa,gcalroaa(rianda,nalghbora,
onledeedrsraeslaaticvaer'esgniveeerd.sCfoonrsciadreergaetntdinygohuerlpown pnruorfseesss;iopnhaalrsm:acdolcatlosralapaclallatat 'WharetofindfinancialandiagalInformation
to manageyourolder relative'smeals, •Currentlistofpraacrlptlonmadlcailons
transportation,social activities,and services andtheirdosagaa
toassistwith otherdaily needs.
TAKENOTE;Therearemanyreliableorganizations
thatcan helpyou thataredevoted toboth SnapshotofPreventiveTestsandServices MSulCBfO Medlcore
health care andolderpeople.See Find Out ThatMedicareHelpsPayFor ffelpaPay Ooaon'tPay
Morebelow. Stiott PneumococcolPfiBUmonlB
YonouAgcianng,geotrhtehlepUb.yS.caAldlmiingniysoturratAiroenaoAngeAgnicnyg. FHliupillUiB,Ifmritli
gASolocsvioearlcnhSmeeecrnvkitcweoisft.fhiIctyesoisuirnlicsytooeuudnrtwyil'otschaIlc5opeuphnaotrnytementof Exami CPleilnviiccalExBarmea,sItnEclxuadmingPapTett
directory. And, your local librarycan usually
helpidentifyseniorcentersandothersenior Screening ColorectalCancer
servicesavailablein thearea. MPraomstmaotgerCaamncer
Glaucoma,onceevery12monlha
PeopleetRisk DIabetaaServlccaandauppllea
BoneMateMeaauremont
GlaucomaScreening
TheOriglnilMedicarepl»nmplcalli/covers80poiconlofihoallowulilocostAcHlllwiolr.oriilliloi.i,willn|,|,|,,.
www.healthfinder.gov www.ao8.gov www.benentflcheckup.org
SearchcaregivingFindaseriesofwebsite SelectFamilyCaregivers.See'BecauseWe Aservice(rorntheUadonalCouncilonAging
vDrnoaeensnppoearutrorytfcimeotesfsn,,etliadnnoecfdrlcHuuaednraiielnvtgethrogspaoiitnvcidesersfHn,ruomtfmehT>anaittnhaaeSdgedUer.rnvSec.iiscesessa,, CU.aS.reAd—mAinGiusitdreatfoironPeoonplAegiWngh.oCare*fromthe psMfotehradatiereclmiapgaiirdcbo,iylgifrptoyaromoidgsnsrfitoanrmacmsmla,putsdai,ionnnidgnaSs^bothocaoiutratenlepfSsreeedocreguvrrriaialctmeyass,.n,d
OfficeofDiseasePreventionandHealth
Promotion
Seeking second START HERE BASIC INFORMATION
opinions. Chronic Ijiini;.1 (.liinnx. lu.ilil)conditionorsurgery Whena person'sdoctor recommends surgery or
ness. will rjiht-iitirsiions.nut irurcascconcerns for a majormedical test,—encouraj;ethe patientto
il ymir ntollici or .iny oiIktolder person. Havinp geta secondopinion even a third opmion.
yourhuppori isinipoKnni. \aW w<i)i your (iellinga thirdopinion isheneticial whenthe
motlici iihoui lu-rLondition .injireaiment ;ind lirst and second opinionsjredifferent. Seeing
nuour.iKf Itertorec.ill c-\;Klly wliiii herdoctor a third healthc.ire pro\idercan provide
s.iiil diitin^ Msns, (»oin^over llie(acts injiy inlormaiion that helpspatientsdecideonthe
irlic-vi' someconcernsandgiveherj more hest ct)nrseol action fortheir healtli.
re.diMii pictureofthesituation. A—nd,having Medicarecoverssecondandthirdopinionsfor
Miu lotalk towill heKUiiforinig and helplu! non-cmcrgencysurgery. Medicarepaysfor80
.IS -.hi m.iKts hc.ihh i.nedecisions loi lier percentoftheapproved amount for second and
liiiin1 thirdopinionsasnecessary.TheOriginal Medicare
Avhuie yourtiiolherthat everyonewith Plan alsohelpspay forcertain medical teststhat
Medicare has(he nnhi toknow what iheir mayherequiredtogetadditionaldoctors'opinions.
«.hoicesare,discussthechoiceswith another Kxamplesofa non-emergency surgeryareagall
doctor,andhavetheir wishesconsidered. hladder procedure,hysterectomy,herniarepair,
orcataractoperation.Ohcck the Medicare
resources under Find Out More (see helow) to
getmore information aboutsecondopinions,
surger\',andspecificmedicaltests.
"Mi| imittu'i h.is Immmi SEEKINGANOTHEROPINION: Medicaremanagedcare
ilMgiuisi'i) wilh .1 plansmay requirethe primarycaredoctorto
ssriouscondition and givea written referral toanotherdoctorfora
secondorthirdopinion.
shoIsrsallyconcerned
bout(hefuture.Can TAKENOTE: Alwaysask ifa doctoror supplier
accepts "assignment."
sheseekasecond
opinion?" Assignmentisanagreementbetween Medicare,
doctors,healthcareproviders,and suppliersto
accept the Medicare-approved amountas
FIND OUT MORE payment in full.
Q(uriecOkOcMo;m?m-i*t???e!htWekiqCm«cltM1n-lSwOmOmMitonniCARF Fw.indMtd.t-cai*ftaiUclpttIn.g.pVRhIyi[l1c8l0i0n-i6I3n3 LthoeowmfabbstotuftoctotrtoicglNvaanronrattloAulrlcioasnc:eVifsoi't wOwTwH.EaRlzR.EoSrgOURCESOFINTEREST:
acITrobttvioiiruimt1i0wa1Ulb>Hco(Vhu«MrtMci(KtHnwtliitclivoj.h\nityi;doirioi(iplirIitnspSi*utoiannln*Prd;.^d:iot\s:7n7o\t L'1P1Ma8em0k0aYtbfHeoi.iVu?tOJoa?c;Ht.vl"-^t')nwmatnSu;ndptfar!,stijKtri«*llitoitAtwfc1aoyc-ve8tpJ0rt0iwnMdcEsoDdprIycCotAtRE CwSOpaewtriwr«Mi.£Kim«inPMvimB)igfWlileacoatrirwetowi.Sowgun.orscvgae'rrGtyegt*ltvinogr.aoSregcond Ff1ir-no8d0m0ct-ah2re?eg2Atl-vz3eh9fe0i0imneffroor'rsamraAtsosiuooncndiaattnhideondr.oescOorkucrsacullepsport
A«vtsn^M^^t7'lCKSPut>No 10134)
STEPS TO SECOND OPINIONS COPING WITH ILLNESS
Noft'emergencysurgeryhasbeenrscommtnded—andyouwant•stcondopinion. IU'lpinj;youriiuhIutoricliiiivi"ttipfwithti
M'i'iotislu'ithhcinulilinii,cs|it\'i4illvovn'i) liiiif^
pnioilot tinu',awx hv pliysii.illv .iiulriiuniun.illy
•.Ir.tiiiin^.
Askyourprimari|carephysiciantoreferyou II \oniwvA L^ut'^ivcl,tlii'i'i-mi'n k'vv ihin^s you
tcoheacnkotthheerPdaorcttiocripfaotrinagsPehcyosnidcioapninDiiornecotrory Ii.iMblouiill),yoIu'iriulli'sio'Iniun'n'o"u—i'niwlioilhlwluh'ionmiii'yi*i)KU'ncinluii\miu\e\k,
atwww.medicare.gov. i'vrii ilu)M- ihiit upsi-i yiMi, li Isiilso iinportiini
II)M-i I'l-iilisiicKOiils. httlnuL'iii^work, Inniily,
.iiul liinc toryourscll isililliitill. Di'li-nuiiu-
Seethenewdoctorforasecondopinion. your prioriiii-Nniul lurn (oother ju-opk* lor help
wiih s<)nu' i.isks. tiiuvc out luur lor yourm-ll,
I'vfu il II isjiist an houror two.
Ilu-tc shoulil beI'CNOin'Ci'N in your(.ninuuMiiiy
ihiU can lielp. Check (he iiewspiiper or local
lihniry tolocate a catei^iver Mippori K">t>|) h)
Ifthesecondopinionagreeswiththefirst Ifthesecondopiniondisagreeswiththefirst yourarea. SharingeKperieiicch with otherscan
opinion,youcanmakeaninformeddecision opinion,youmayseekathirdopinionfroma helpyou manage thesiresh, locale re-ioiirces,
aboutsurgery. differentdoctor. aiui reiluce ieeluigsof isolation,
lalk lo.1 professioiinl who In triiinecl to provide
Askyourprimarycarephysiciantoreferyou counsehiii',on careKiviuf',JHSueH, IIclpmayhIho
toadifferentdoctorforathirdopinion. heavail.thli- ihroii)',)) your euiployeeiiHMiMtiincc
j)ro(',jai)i.
Seethenewdoctorforathirdopinion. IRIes.ipviitieilachalre,etisakaesaecrlvviacneialiKicalopfrorveiHiplieineclaerieu.poracy
care (oran older person. Ues))ilecate may mean
he!j>with a specifictask orhavingheallh care
Compareat!threemedicalopinionstomake providerscare for yourrelativeal homeor in an
aninformeddecisionaboutsurgery. extendedcare facility while you lake timeoff.
Medicaredoesnot usually))ay forrespitecare,
hut otherhelp may heavailable.
www.alzheimers.org www.c8ncemet.ncl.nih.gov www.nlndt.nlh,gov www,r)Is,nlh.gov
TrieAlzheimer'sDiseaseEducationand Credible,cufientcomprehensivecancer (Jvvivic'wofPaikHi!iun':»disc'atiofrotnllie Healthiiifurniijiionundrutuurufirugurdlny
ReferralCenter'swetistiefromtheNational informationfromtheNationalfencer NatianalInstituteofNeurologicalDisorders Alzheimer'sdlRoa^ofromtheNotional
InstituteonAging. Institute andStroke. InstituteonAging,
www.diibet0s.org
Researchandinfom^ationfromtheAmerican
DiabetesAssociation.
START HERE BASIC INFORMATION
Tlu-Original McJiiarc l'l.inJdc!.not pay h»r Although theOriginal Medicare health plan
(Mii|>;)ncni piTbLriptinndruKh. However,your docs not provideprescription drugcoverage,
Miiie niiiyoHcrdihcount pro(;riimsorfree there might beother Medicareoptions in your
(tit-iliialKiiis piof;r.iins iliai l.h) help your area that will. Remember,the Original Medicare
n(inlil»ot ftcl llic iiuilkUK'S lit-niids. ( luik on Plan Isthe basic pay-pervisit health plan that
wli.il typeol progiiiinsareavailable hycalling allows the patienttogotoany doctor,hospital,
your Male Depariineni of Agingoryourlocal orother healthcarcproviderwhoaccepts
Area Agemytin Aging. Medicare.
AUoLiu'ik the I'resLriplion DrugAssistance Medicare + Choice plans includealternatives
Ptogtanis Databaseat www.incdicare.govorcall such as Medicare ManagedCareplansor
vIciKyOgDoMiul!DreKsAouKr!ce—(Ip-rKo0vni-d6i.nVgVi4n2f2o7r)m.atItioinsaon PprliavnastecoFvcecr-fporre-sSccrrivpitciconpsl.ans. Manyofthese
pu-suipiion drugbenetitsoffered tlirougb Some Mcdigappoliciesalsooffer prescription
Medicare+(!hoice plansand Mcdigappolicies. drugcoverage. Medigap policiesarcMedicare
pIihie>gdiaantiasbaisheaiamlsaoylihsetslpamwiydoeuvrarnieeitgyhboofr's csoupmpplaenmieensttoinfsilulra"ngcaepss"oldinbOyripgriinvaalteMiendsiucraarnece
siiuaiion. Plancoverage. Medigap policieswork onlywith
^ttu'll tuulioniacis toi xt.ite priAcnpiioii drug theOriginal MedicarePlan. Youcannotpurchase
aHsisiaiue programs. And you'll learn .ibout a Medigappolicy ifyou arein a Medicare+
B programssponsored b)' |>harmaceu(ical Choice Plan.
"Mij in'ij;liluii Al's lonip.iniesdesignedtohelp pettple who use
iiuu luiduaiioustobeabletoafford them.
iniMJii.il Iondilinns Ihut .lie.dsodiseascspecilic programsthat
iri]Uii(' hint to he on .) lul|> make medicationsavailableto patients.
luiinhfi ol imilu.ilions
Wlu'ir i .111 he yi\ hi-lfi
topaytui hi'^uulpaliciU
prescriptiondrugs?"
FIND OUT MORE
PnicriptlOftdtU|pro|nm*nMryeu'roll FtiyrtMtrth-]^i>towwwmtdtctra.gov^nd www.sarp.org www.elderc«r«.gov
yoiiistatpnp(>aiti«pi\toi'^^ SelectHealthandW^lnessforinformation Generalinformationandprescription
tfifsriiun\lifiriouitlir11- onavanrtyoftopics,includingprescnption programsthatmaybeavailableinyour
^ayolilVlln.oIVl^n^^^^> VMpd(C3rp prxigiams,andhealthissues communnyorstate.Orcall1B00-G?M11G
andaskforafreecopyofPharmaceutical
vJinAl*oc*ll1-800MtOICAtll(1800633 ProgramsforSeniorsfromtheU.S.
AdministrationonAging
