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Medicare decisions made easy The newly updated
Medicare For Dummies offers clear, step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the complex Medicare system. It takes you from the enrollment process to making use of expanded coverage to customizing a plan for your needs. Written by Medicare expert Patricia Barry, this book is your trusted and proven guide to reducing your out-of-pocket expenses and picking the perfect policy for yourself and your family.
Inside... - Learn the basics of Medicare
- Determine the best policy for you
- Reference the latest prices and coverage options
- Navigate the Medicare system
- Use Medicare for mental healthcare
- Get coverage for your family members
- Avoid unpleasant coverage surprises
List of contents
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
About the author
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.
