UNDERSTANDING MeDICARe - AARP...UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE 1 Medicare is a federal health insurance...

PREVENTIVE BENEFITS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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UNDERSTANDINGMeDICARe

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Medicare and other health insurance as you retire

What is Medicare?

Your Medicare choices

Paying for Medicare

Buying Medigap insurance

If you can’t afford Medicare payments

Your Medicare answer guide

C o n t e n t s

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This booklet is part of a series of AARP publications that provide life answers for people age 50 and over.

U N D E R S T A N D I N G M E D I C A R E 1

Medicare is a federal health insurance pro-

gram for people who are 65 and over, for some

younger people with disabilities, and for people

with end-stage kidney disease. Medicare also

offers coverage for prescription drugs.

In addition to offering prescription drug cov-

erage, Medicare has expanded coverage for

preventive benefits. Medicare offers important

preventive benefits and services such as vac-

cinations, bone mass measurement, glaucoma

screenings, and screenings for certain cancers.

Medicare also covers a Welcome to Medicare

physical exam, an annual wellness visit, person-

alized prevention planning, and screening tests

for certain cancers, heart disease and diabetes.

Because Medicare doesn’t cover all of your

health care costs, you might want to find out

about Medicare supplemental insurance, some-

times referred to as Medigap. Medigap is pri-

UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Health insurance is important at any age. But as you near retirement,

it’s especially important to make sure you have insurance to help pay

for medical care once you stop working.

During the working years, most people get

health insurance through their job. Some

people continue to get health coverage

through their former employer’s plan after they

retire. This is called retiree health insurance.

Employers don’t have to provide retiree health

benefits to employees. Even when employers

do offer retiree health benefits, there’s no fed-

eral law preventing them from cutting or elimi-

nating those benefits.

Before you retire, find out what health benefits,

if any, are available to you during your retire-

ment years. You can get this information from

your employer or from the person who handles

payroll and benefits.

Another source of health insurance that you’ll

want to get information about is Medicare.

PREVENTIVE BENEFITSE X PA N D E D C OV E R AG E

MEDIGAP

2 U N D E R S T A N D I N G M E D I C A R E

vate health insurance that supplements your

Medicare coverage by helping you pay your

share of health care costs. You have to buy

and pay for Medigap on your own. For some

people with low incomes, the Medicaid pro-

gram, which is run by your state, can act like a

Medigap plan by covering costs that Medicare

doesn’t.

To help you become familiar with the

Medicare program and your options, AARP has

prepared this booklet. It also will guide you to

resources that can give you more information

about Medicare, Medigap, and planning for

health care coverage in your retirement years.

Before you retire, find out what health benefits, if any, extend to you and your spouse during your retirement years.


The program has several parts. Part A helps

pay for inpatient hospital care and some other

care, such as home health, hospice, and skilled

nursing facility care. Part B helps pay for doctor

visits, some home health care, medical equip-

ment, some preventive services, outpatient

hospital care, rehabilitation therapy, laboratory

tests, X-rays, mental health services, ambu-

lance services, and blood. Medicare Advantage

Plans, also known as Part C, are an alternative

to Original Medicare and are offered by private

companies. Part D helps pay for prescription

drugs.

Most people don’t pay for Part A because they

already paid for it through their payroll taxes

while working. If you do not have premium-free

Part A, you may be able to buy it under certain

conditions. Most people pay a monthly pre-

mium for Part B and Part D. Coverage for Part B

and Part D is optional. Some people wait to sign

up for Part B and Part D, but those who wait

may have to pay more in monthly premiums for

coverage later on.

Like most other insurance, Medicare does not

pay for all your health care costs. You’re respon-

sible for paying for the costs that are not cov-

ered, such as deductibles, coinsurance, or co-

payments. Medicare also doesn’t pay for long-

term care, such as custodial care or an extended

stay in a nursing home. There are other services

that Medicare does not cover, such as health

care when you travel outside the country, which

is why some people choose to buy additional

coverage.

Getting MedicareOnce you turn 65, you’re automatically signed

up for Medicare Part A and Part B if you are

receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement

benefits. To qualify for Medicare, you had to

have earned the required quarters of cover-

age. This generally means paying Medicare

and Social Security payroll taxes for at least 10

years of your work life or meeting other specific

requirements. If you are 65 and have not earned

the required number of quarters of coverage,

Medicare is a federal health insurance program that helps people

age 65 and over. It also helps some younger people with disabilities

and people with end-stage kidney disease pay for their heath care.

WHAT IS MEDICARE?

PREVENTIVE BENEFITSPREMIUMS

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

PART D


you still may able to purchase Medicare on your

own. You must be a citizen or permanent resi-

dent of the U.S. If you’re not sure if you’re eli-

gible for Medicare, call your local Social Security

office or the Social Security toll-free telephone

number at 1-800-772-1213.

You should get a package of Medicare informa-

tion, including your Medicare card, in the mail. If

you don’t get this information by your 65th birth-

day, contact the Social Security Administration at

1-800-772-1213 and request one.

If you are about to turn 65 but not yet receiving

Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits,

you need to sign up for Medicare at your local

Social Security office or visit www.socialsecurity.

gov to apply online.

There is a 7-month period during which you can

enroll in Medicare:

• During the 3 months before your 65th birthday

• During the month of your 65th birthday

• During the 3 months after your 65th

birthday

The best time to sign up for Medicare is during

the 3 months before your 65th birthday.

If you’re age 65 or over and still covered by a

group health plan from your employer you

might not need Medicare right away. Check with

Medicare to find out how Medicare works with

other insurance coverage that you may have.

Medicare has a toll-free help line you

can call to get your questions about

Medicare answered. Dial 1-800-MEDICARE

(1-800-633-4227) or TTY 1-877-486-2048

(hearing and speech impaired) or visit www.

medicare.gov. Support in Spanish is avail-

able. Someone at the help line can answer

your questions about Medicare; give you the

phone number of your State Health Insurance

Assistance Program (SHIP) office, which

offers free health insurance counseling to

people with Medicare; and send you free

Medicare booklets.

Resources

Medicare doesn’t pay for all of your health care costs. You’re responsible for paying some of the costs yourself.


Original Medicare The Original Medicare Plan, also known as

traditional or guaranteed Medicare, is a fee-for-

service health plan. This means you can choose

any doctor or hospital under this plan. Medicare

will pay its share of the doctor or hospital bill.

You pay the rest. Original Medicare pays for

many health care services and supplies, but it

doesn’t pay all of your health care costs.

You get Part A and Part B of the Original

Medicare Plan when you’re automatically

signed up for Medicare. To get drug coverage

under Original Medicare, you must choose

and join a Medicare-approved Part D private

drug plan.

Medicare Advantage PlansMedicare Advantage Plans are alterna-

tives to Original Medicare. They also may be

known as Medicare Health Plans or Medicare

Part C. These Medicare plans are offered by

private insurance companies and pay for

the same health care services as Original

Medicare. But they also might pay for addi-

tional health care services that aren’t covered

by Original Medicare. Examples of Medicare

Advantage Plans include Health Maintenance

Organizations (HMOs) and Preferred Provider

Organizations (PPOs).

In Medicare Advantage Plans, you usually pay

a small amount, or a co-payment, when you

visit the doctor. In most Medicare Advantage

Plans, you can only go to doctors, specialists,

YOUR MEDICARE CHOICES

PREVENTIVE BENEFITS

PREMIUMS

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

PART B

You have a choice of how you get Medicare. You can get Medicare

through the Original Medicare Plan or Medicare Advantage Plans

(like an HMO or PPO). You can also choose a Medicare Part D

plan that helps with prescription drug coverage. Medicare has

several different plan options. Your decisions about which plan

you choose are important because they affect how much you pay

for your health care and what is covered.


Private Fee-for-Service PlansPrivate Fee-for-Service (PFFS) Plans are

plans that are like the Original Medicare

fee-for-service plan because you can choose

your own doctors and hospitals. These plans

are offered by private insurance companies.

The insurance company pays its share of

your doctor and hospital bills, and you pay

your share. However, the private insurance

company, not Medicare, decides how much

you pay for your care. This means you might

pay more for your health care under this

plan than under Original Medicare, but you

might get additional benefits.

Call Medicare if you want to know whether

a PFFS plan is available where you live. Like

a Medicare Advantage Plan, you need to

sign up for a PFFS plan. The plan will notify

Medicare when you have changed from the

Original Medicare Plan.

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) is insurance that helps reduce the costs of

prescription drugs. Everyone with Medicare

can elect to enroll in this voluntary drug

coverage, regardless of income. Medicare

Part D is administered by private companies

that have been approved by Medicare to

offer prescription drug coverage.

and hospitals on the plan’s list. Otherwise,

you may pay more or you may not be cov-

ered for services at all. You choose one doc-

tor to be your primary care doctor, or main

health care provider. Usually, your primary

care doctor will coordinate all of your health

care, send you to a specialist when you

need one, and admit you to the hospital if it

becomes necessary.

Medicare doesn’t automatically enroll you

in a Medicare Advantage Plan—you need

to choose a plan and sign up directly. The

Medicare Advantage Plan you choose will

let Medicare know that you have enrolled

in one of their plans. Medicare Advantage

Plans are available in most parts of the

U.S. You must get both Part A and Part B

to participate in a Medicare Advantage

Plan. People with end-stage kidney disease

may not be eligible to enroll in a Medicare

Advantage Plan.

In 2011, there will be changes in how

Medicare Advantage Plans operate. This

could result in changes to your particular

plan. If your plan does change, you will

have ample time to decide on a new plan.

If you have questions, you can call your

Medicare Advantage Plan directly or call

Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 to find out

about your options.



There are two kinds of Medicare prescrip-

tion drug plans:

1. “Stand alone” prescription drug plans that

offer only drug coverage. You can add this

type of plan to Original Medicare and some

types of Medicare Advantage Plans that do

not cover prescription drugs.

or

2. Medicare Advantage Plans (which you

may also see referred to as Medicare

Health Plans or Medicare Part C) such

as Health Maintenance Organizations

(HMOs) and Preferred Provider

Organizations (PPOs). You can get both

your Medicare health care and prescrip-

tion drugs through one of these plans.

You can choose from many drug plans.

Drug plan sponsors can offer more than one

drug plan. The benefits and costs will vary

between sponsors and drug plans.

If you are newly eligible for Medicare, you

can enroll in a Medicare prescription drug

plan up to 3 months before or no later than

3 months after the month you become eli-

gible. A late enrollment penalty may apply if

you decide to enroll after this initial period.

You can switch plans each year during the

open enrollment period. Generally, this is

also the only time you can sign up if you

were eligible to enroll in a Part D plan ear-

lier but didn’t.

You may still be able to enroll in a drug plan

outside the open enrollment period, if you:

• Lose coverage that is at least as good as

Medicare’s from another source (such as

an employer or union) through no fault

of your own, or your coverage changes so

that it is no longer as good as Medicare’s.

• Move into—or out of—a long-term care

facility such as a nursing home.

• Have been living in another country since

the end of the last open enrollment period

and move back to live permanently in the

U.S.

Like other insurance, there is a monthly

premium for plans offering Medicare drug

coverage. If you have a limited income and

resources, you may be able to get help with

covering the costs of prescription drugs.


Choosing a PlanBefore you choose a Medicare plan, think

about your options carefully. Read through

information that is available on all the plans.

Talk to your doctor and friends who have

Medicare. Compare the costs, benefits, and

quality of the plans you’re considering. Call

Medicare if you need more information.

And ask yourself the following questions:

• What is most important to you in a

Medicare plan—cost, coverage, or

convenience?

• Will you have your choice of health care

providers?

• Will the plan you choose meet your needs?

• How much will you have to pay for your

health care and prescription drugs?

• Will you have coverage if you travel

frequently or leave your hometown for

long periods of time?



ResourcesThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

has a number of publications on Medicare

choices. Call the Medicare help line at

1-800-633-4227 to get their latest publica-

tions, or view or order them online at www.

medicare.gov/Publications/home.asp.

Find out what options are available to you and

what is covered under the Medicare program

at www.aarp.org/health/medicare. Maximize

your Medicare choices by using the Medicare

Interactive Tool at www.aarp.org/medicarein-

teractive. Use the Medicare Prescription Drug

Plan Finder to compare Part D prescription

drug plans at www.medicare.gov/MPDPF/

home.asp.

Medicare Options Compare provides detailed

information about the Medicare plans avail-

able in your local area. To access this infor-

mation, go to the Medicare website at www.

medicare.gov/MPPF/Home.asp.



Generally, how much you pay

for Medicare depends on:

• Which Medicare plan you choose

• How often you go to the doctor or hospital

• Whether you have other health insurance

• Whether you qualify for help with

Medicare costs

Medicare does not cover all of your health

care costs. Depending on which plan you

choose, you might have to share in the cost

of your care by paying premiums, deduct-

ibles, co-payments, and coinsurance.

The amount of some of these payments

can change. Most people who qualify for

Medicare don’t pay a monthly premium for

Part A, but they do for Part B and Part D

or a Medicare Advantage Plan. You can call

Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 or go to www.

medicare.gov to check current deductibles,

co-payments, and premiums, and what you

will need to pay.

There are options for helping you pay your

share of health costs if you have Medicare.

For instance, your out-of-pocket costs might

be lower and more predictable under a

Medicare Advantage Plan, such as an HMO,

but these plans usually limit your choice of

doctors and hospitals.

Retiree health insurance can help pay some

of the costs (when you retire at age 65 or

over, retiree health insurance becomes the

second payer to any Medicare coverage

you have). So can Medicare supplemental

insurance, or Medigap. Also, if you qualify,

you might be able to get help through the

Medicaid program or other public pro-

grams. Medicaid is a program funded by the

federal and state governments to help peo-

ple with low incomes pay for health care.

AARP has more information on what your

costs would be under Original Medicare on

its website. Go to www.aarp.org/health/

medicare. AARP’s Doughnut Hole Calculator

www.aarp.org/doughnuthole helps you find

ways to lower your drug costs. The calcula-

tor is available in English and Spanish.

PAYING FOR M EDICARE


Insurance companies in most states can

offer up to 11 standard Medigap plans to

people on Medicare. These standard plans

are labeled Plan A – G and K – N. Each one

offers a different set of benefits, fills differ-

ent gaps in Medicare coverage, and varies in

price.

Generally, standard Medigap policies cover

some or all of the cost of:

• Hospital coinsurance for Medicare covered

hospital stays

• Medicare coinsurance on your doctor’s

bills and all other Medicare Part B services

• The first three pints of blood you need

each year

• Hospice care coinsurance

There are some things you should consider

when buying a Medigap plan:

Do you have a retiree health policy?If you have a comprehensive retiree health

plan through your former employer or union

that supplements Original Medicare, you

might not need a Medigap plan. If your retiree

policy provides more generous benefits or

benefits not covered by Medicare or Medigap,

you should think about your options carefully

before dropping the policy for a less expensive

choice. You might not be able to get it back

once you disenroll from your retiree health

plan. Check with your union or your former

employer’s health plan first.

Can you accept some limits on your care?Medicare Select is a Medigap policy that

limits the providers you can see. Costs can

be lower than standard Medigap policies

because Medicare Select policies cover care

only at certain hospitals and might be limited

to using specific doctors. Your state insurance

If you have Original Medicare, you might decide to buy

Medicare supplemental insurance, or Medigap. Medigap

insurance is sold by private companies. It helps you pay for

costs that Medicare doesn’t cover, such as your share of

doctor and hospital services.

BUYING MEDIGAP INSURANCE


department can tell you if there are Medicare

Select plans in your state and give you more infor-

mation about them.

Remember your rightsIf you think you want to buy a Medigap policy,

remember that you have the right to review

your new Medigap policy for 30 days. You must

cancel it during that time for a full refund if you

decide it doesn’t meet your needs. You also

have the right to cancel your Medigap policy at

any time. In most cases, as long as you pay your

premium, your Medigap coverage will continue

year after year.

Enrolling in MedigapYou have the right to enroll in a Medigap plan

of your choice during the 6 months following

your initial enrollment in Medicare Part B at

age 65 and over. This is called the open enroll-

ment period. It’s available only once.

Generally, if you’re on Medicare, have a dis-

ability and are under age 65, you aren’t able to

enroll in Medigap as a part of the open enroll-

ment period. You are entitled to get Medigap

as part of open enrollment only when you turn

65. However, some states require insurers to

sell Medigap to people under age 65 with dis-

abilities. Contact your state insurance depart-

ment for more information.

After your open enrollment period, depending

on the state, insurance companies may be able

to refuse you Medigap coverage.

Other Insurance and Ways to Pay Health Care Costs In addition to Medicare, you may be eligible for

other health care coverage such as employer

retiree health care, union health coverage,

veterans’ benefits, military retiree benefits

(TRICARE), Federal Employee Health Benefits

Program (FEHB), and long-term care insurance.



Remember that you choose your Medicare plan. Regardless of which plan you choose, you’re part of the Medicare program.

Resources

You can find more information on Medigap

insurance on AARP’s website. Go to www.

aarp.org/health/insurance.

Medicare Options Compare provides detailed

information about Medigap plans available

in your local area. To access this informa-

tion, go to the Medicare website at www.

medicare.gov/MPPF/Home.asp. The site also

has Medigap publications from the Centers

for Medicare & Medicaid Services that you

can view online at www.medicare.gov/

Publications/Home.asp. You can also call

1-800-633-4227 to order publications.

State insurance departments are responsible

for licensing and regulating insurance com-

panies that do business in their state and for

approving their Medigap policies. They often

have consumer information and can help

with complaints. The National Association of

Insurance Commissioners links you directly to

your state insurance department through its

website at www.naic.org.

For more information about how other

kinds of insurance work with Medicare, visit

www.medicare.gov, call your State Health

Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), or call

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).


incomes pay for Medicare coverage. To

qualify, you must meet certain income and

resource guidelines. To find out if you are

eligible for one of these programs, you can

contact your local State Health Insurance

Assistance Program (SHIP) at www.shiptalk.

org. You can also contact the Social Security

Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY

1-877-486-2048) or go to www.socialsecu-

rity.gov/prescriptionhelp/.

If you can’t afford to pay your share of

Medicare payments there are other pro-

grams besides Medicaid that can help you.

They include:

Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug

Plan Costs

Medicare Savings Programs

State Prescription Drug Assistance Programs

The PACE Program (Programs of All-

inclusive Care for the Elderly)

These programs help people with limited

IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD MEDICARE PAYMENTS

ResourcesThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

has information on programs that can help

you pay for Medicare at www.medicare.gov/

Basics/HelpToPay.asp. You also can call

1-800-633-4227.

AARP’s Public Benefits Outreach Program

informs people with limited incomes and

resources about public benefits for which they

might be eligible. The program helps people

learn about public benefits and encourages

and helps them apply if they appear to be

eligible. For more information about this pro-

gram, contact AARP at 1-888-687-2277.


Your Medicare rightsEveryone enrolled in Medicare has certain

rights. These include the right to:

• Receive information and assistance

• Receive reasonable and necessary

Medicare services

• Choose and switch between Original

Medicare and other Medicare plans offered

locally by private companies

• Buy Medicare prescription drug coverage

• Buy Medigap insurance

• Choose and switch doctors

• Appeal denials of care and coverage

Your Medicare rights can vary, depending

on whether you have Original Medicare, a

Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO), or

another option.

There are many things to learn about the

Medicare program. Fortunately, there are also

many resources to turn to for information and

help. Listed “in a nutshell” below are 12 basic

facts you should know about Medicare.

Medicare in a nutshellMedicare is a federal health insurance 1.

program.

Medicare helps pay for your hospital and 2.

doctor bills. If you purchase Medicare

prescription drug coverage, it also helps

pay for your prescription drug costs.

YOUR MEDICARE ANSWER GUIDE

Medicare Part A helps pay for hospital 3.

bills, and Medicare Part B helps pay for

doctor bills. Medicare Advantage Plans,

also known as Part C, are private health

plans, like HMOs or PPOs. Medicare Part

D helps pay for prescription drugs.

Medicare offers preventive benefits such 4.

as screenings for heart disease, diabetes,

and some types of cancer, as well as an

annual wellness visit and personalized

prevention plan.

Most people who are 65 and over are 5.

entitled to get Medicare. Some younger

people with disabilities can also get

Medicare.

Most people get Medicare Part A auto-6.

matically. Other people have to sign up.

You need to tell Medicare if you don’t 7.

want Part B. You need to sign up if you

want Part D (prescription drug cover-

age).

You can sign up for Medicare Part B and 8.

Part D even after you turn 65, but you

might pay more for your monthly pre-

mium and be limited in the times of year

in which you can enroll.

Depending on where you live, you might 9.

have a choice about how you get your

health care under Medicare.


you will pay a penalty if you decide to enroll

later. You might also be limited in terms of

which time of the year you can later enroll.

Some doctors “opt out” of Medicare. They can •

charge you whatever they want for their ser-

vices, but only if you sign a contract with them

before they provide the services. Medicare

won’t pay for any of the care you get from

these doctors.

Regardless of the plan you choose, everyone •

enrolled in Medicare has a right to receive

reasonable and necessary services covered by

Medicare. Everyone has a right to appeal deni-

als of care and coverage.

You may be able to buy Medicare insurance •

if you don’t qualify for it. You’ll have to pay

premiums for both Part A and Part B, as well

as for Part D.

The Medicare-approved amount is the •

amount Medicare says is a reasonable pay-

ment for a medical service.

You must have Medicare Part A and Part B if •

you want to join a Medicare Advantage Plan,

like an HMO or a PPO.

If you’re age 65 or over, you have a 6-month •

period in which to buy any Medigap policy

you choose once you sign up for Medicare

Part B. During this enrollment period, you

can’t be turned down or charged more

because of past or present health problems.

By law, Medigap providers aren’t allowed •

to sell more than one Medigap plan to the

same beneficiary.

You can change your Medicare health care 10.

plan and your Medicare drug plan each year.

Medicare does not pay for all your health 11.

care costs. You can get other kinds of insur-

ance to help pay for some of your health

care costs.

Assistance is available for people with lim-12.

ited incomes and resources to help pay for

health care and prescription drug costs.

Medicare TipsThe following consumer tips can help you get

the most out of Medicare:

If you have Medicare and you’re satisfied with •

your coverage, you don’t need to make any

changes.

If you’re thinking about changing from one •

Medicare plan to another, don’t rely only on

information from the plan. Get additional

information from people and organizations

you trust, such as your doctor, your friends,

the State Health Insurance Assistance

Program (SHIP), and the Medicare Program.

You can switch from Original Medicare to •

another Medicare plan. But if you drop your

Medigap insurance or retiree health insur-

ance, you might not be able to get it back.

Check with your former employer or union

before you make any changes. There are laws

that limit your opportunity to get Medigap

coverage.

If you don’t enroll in Medicare Part B or Part D •

when you’re first eligible and don’t qualify for

an exemption or special enrollment period,


Before you call for help, be sure to write down any other ques-tions that come to mind. Be ready to take notes when you get answers to your questions.

Resources

For more information about your Medicare

rights, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227

and ask for the publication, Your Medicare

Rights and Protections. You can also order

or view it online at it www.medicare.gov/

Publications/Home.asp.

Your State Health Insurance Assistance

Program (SHIP) offers free one-on-one

health insurance counseling to people with

Medicare. Go to www.shiptalk.org. You can

find the number for your state SHIP office

by calling Medicare at 1-800-633-4227,

searching the “Helpful Contacts” section

of the Medicare website at www.medicare.

gov/Contacts, or looking in the back of the

Medicare Handbook, Medicare and You.

601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20049www.aarp.org

1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277) toll-free

lEARN MORE Visit www.aarp.org

Write AARP, 601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20049

Call 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)

TTY 1-877-434-7598

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization

that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and con-

trol in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and

society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for

public office or make contributions to either political cam-

paigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the

definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-

circulation magazine with over 35.7 million readers; AARP

Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s millions of mem-

bers and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S.

publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic com-

munity; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is

an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and

empowerment to older persons in need with support from

thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have

staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,

Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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UNDERSTANDING MeDICARe - AARP...UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE 1 Medicare is a federal health insurance...

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Transcript of UNDERSTANDING MeDICARe - AARP...UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE 1 Medicare is a federal health insurance...