Medicare For Dummies

Patricia Barry is a recognized authority on Medicare who has written extensively about the program for consumers. For nearly two decades, as a senior editor of AARP’s publications, she wrote hundreds of articles on Medicare and served as the online “Ask Ms. Medicare” columnist, answering thousands of questions sent by Medicare beneficiaries across the nation.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Medicare 7

Chapter 1: The Nuts and Bolts of Medicare: What It Is and How It Works 9

Chapter 2: Spelling Out What Medicare Covers (A Lot, but Not Everything) 19

Chapter 3: Understanding What You Pay Toward Your Costs in Medicare 45

Chapter 4: Reducing Your Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Medicare 63

Part 2: The Hows and Whens of Medicare 93

Chapter 5: Qualifying for Medicare 95

Chapter 6: Enrolling in Medicare at the Right Time for You 111

Chapter 7: Discovering How to Sign Up for Medicare 145

Chapter 8: Understanding How Medicare Fits In with Other Health Insurance 167

Part 3: Making Smart Choices among Medicare’s Many Options 191

Chapter 9: Making Sense of Medicare’s Many Options 193

Chapter 10: Choosing Wisely If You Go with Original Medicare 211

Chapter 11: Making Smart Choices If You Opt for Medicare Advantage 237

Chapter 12: Getting Help in Making Medicare Choices 249

Part 4: Navigating Medicare from the Inside 263

Chapter 13: Starting Out as a New Medicare Beneficiary 265

Chapter 14: Getting the Inside Scoop on Using Certain Medicare Benefits 293

Chapter 15: Changing Your Medicare and Medigap Coverage 321

Chapter 16: Knowing Your Rights 341

Part 5: The Part of Tens 357

Chapter 17: Top Ten Medicare Mistakes 359

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Stay Healthier beyond Age 65 367

Part 6: Appendixes 375

Appendix A: Sources of Help and Information 377

Appendix B: Glossary 389

Index 395