My Health. My Medicare:
Tailored information helps you take charge
To make good decisions about your health, you need the right information. Medicare has taken some big steps to make sure you have the information you need about your health care and your Medicare benefits — personalized information provided online, over the phone and right in your community.
MyMedicare.gov
Other resources at www.medicare.gov
Drug plan info
Compare Care
When Internet access is not available
MyMedicare.gov
Medicare is working to help you make more informed choices about your benefits and health care. An important part of that effort can be found at www.MyMedicare.gov. You can register online, and you’ll get a one-time password in the mail about two weeks later. (You may have already received a password if you got a letter from Medicare about this service.)
Once you have your password, you can log in and get personalized information about your Medicare benefits and services. You can:
- Track health care claims
- Check your Part B deductible status
- View your eligibility information
- Track the preventive services you can use
- Find your Medicare health or prescription plan, or search for a new one
- Keep your Medicare information in one convenient place
Ready to get started?
Follow these steps:
- Go to www.MyMedicare.gov.
- Click on Need to Register.
- Enter your Medicare number, located on your Medicare card.
- Fill in and submit your information.
- You’ll receive your password by mail in about two weeks.
- Use your password to access your personal account at MyMedicare.gov.
Other resources at www.medicare.gov
Don’t forget: Medicare also offers some useful tools and lots of helpful information at their main Web site at www.medicare.gov. You can:
- Download a copy of “Medicare & You 2008,” your Medicare handbook
- Order a replacement Medicare card online
- Compare drug plans, Medigap plans or health plans
- Find out about preventive care covered by Medicare
- See how nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies and dialysis facilities in your area compare on certain aspects of care called quality measures
- Search for a doctor or specialist in your area
Drug plan info
Choosing a Medicare drug plan can be a challenge. You want to make sure you pick the plan that saves you the most money. Medicare can help. Go to www.medicare.gov and you’ll find several tools to help you choose the right plan, check your current coverage and get more information about Medicare’s drug coverage benefit.
If you think you might have made the wrong choice when you chose a drug plan, you can switch plans from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31 every year.
Compare Care
When you or someone you love needs special care, you want to know you’re getting the best care available. To help you make the right choice, Medicare offers several “Compare” tools on their main Web site at www.medicare.gov. Scroll down to Search Tools and click on:
- Compare Nursing Homes in Your Area
- Compare Hospitals in Your Area
- Compare Home Health Agencies in Your Area
- Compare Dialysis Facilities in Your Area
Then, just follow the directions to see how the health care providers in your area compare on specific aspects of care called quality measures. The measures are based on national standards of care for certain illnesses or conditions, and are shown as percentages.
You’ll also want to talk your family doctor, friends and family before you choose a health care facility or provider, and visit the facility if possible. You can also find a lot of other resources on the Internet or in your community to help you make the right choice.
If you don’t have your own Internet access or are away from your computer:
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227). A Medicare representative can give you information over the phone, help you order a replacement card or send you a Medicare handbook. |
