My parents will officially be on Medicare this coming year... and they feel overwhelmed. I was wondering if any of you have gone through this with your parents... or are going through it now? Is there a site like this for Seniors?? Where can they go to get more information - easily - they receive a textbook with info, but the writing is terrible and does not make sense.
Thank you in advance!
I just did a Google search and came up with www.medicare.gov and www.medicare.org. Both look like they have a lot of information. Hope that helps!
Hi, I'm a medical social worker. You can check the medicare website which is medicare.gov. If your community has a senior center they may have some information as well. The medicare rules can get confusing and you need to check yearly as they change. Good luck.
Hi T.,
Another poster mentioned secondary coverage such as AARP. I don't know much about AARP but I do have something that might help as a secondary. It's not insurance but rather a discount plan and there are different plans available that might help. It's a flat rate per month and it would cover both parents. There is help with medical (including lab work), dental, prescription, vision, chiropractic. You might check it out if they anticipate big costs because I know my husband's grandfather paid A LOT out of pocket with Medicare. Just go to this website and take a look: www.mybenefitsplus.com/DawnDarnell. If you have any questions, shoot me an email at: ____@____.com luck!
D.
I'm a pharmacist at walgreens and if your parents get medication and you need to know which part D plan is best for their situation you can go to Medicare.gov or go to your nearest Walgreens, give them a list of medications or if you get them already at walgreens then just ask them to run a Medicare report. It's very helpful, we do it for my grandma, and right now you get $50 in coupons along with the report. Hope this helps!
Hi
They should go to their local SS office and they should have list of support groups and information for them. Also go online to Google and type in support for information on medicare or anything like that and see what comes up. Talking to others may only confuse them more and the others might not have made wise choices. So check online first for them. In other words you need to do the foot work and information finding for them. Read it yourself and help them that way. Don't depend on others advice alone it could end up hurting you as well as them in the end.
Wished I had more for you, I took care of my father-in-law the last year of his life and found that doctors take advantage of the system all the time. They double bill, put things down that didn't happen etc. etc. My father-in-law never ever checked them. I not only took care of him, but he handed all his finances over to me. It was a little over whelming until I got it all straight. And so that you know, from working in the medical field for years. When people reach a certain age, most doctors really don't treat them like they did when they were younger. I saw a lot of people who suffered needlessly. I worked for many offices over the years and it was always the same, out of 15 doctors there were only 2 who I saw really care for their older patients. So the key to their well being and your peace of mind is be very involved.
The most important thing to remember is that during the winter of their lives, you will make more memories with them than all the years before, so treasuer each day you are given with them. And Treat your husbands parents with as much love as you do your own. Your heart will be full of love in the end.
Good afternoon,
Yes, Medicare is confusing, and here is some good help:
His name is Mark Squires, and is an expert in what he calls "The alphabet soup of Medicare."
He won't try to sell you anything, and has the means to put you in touch with anyone or anything you may need.
He has given me great advice about my Mother-In-Law's needs and can highly recommend him.
His cell number is ###-###-####. If he doesn't pick up right away, he WILL get back to you soon.
I hope this helps.
"Traci" Holman
Here is the Medicare website:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicare.asp
It is a little bit easier to understand than the handbook. I work in Medical billing and deal w/ Medicare all the time, so I understand how confusing it can be. If you have any questions that I can help you with, let me know and I'll give it my best shot! Good luck!!!
I am an RN in an oncology office and I deal with Insurance all the time. I recommend that your parents get a secondary insurance as straight medicare only covers 80% of most medical issues. A secondary such as AARP is awesome and picks up what medicare doesn't pay for usually. Just a little from my experience. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Chris
