Helping Dad find his way in Medicare

My father is about to turn 65.  He’s been a little lost ever since my mother died a few years ago.  He is going to need help figuring out Medicare and all of that.  He takes a lot of pills every day, so he will need the prescription drug plan too.  I live a few hours’ drive away from him, so it would be hard for me to go with him to the government offices.  Where can I turn for help on this?

Dutiful Daughter

Dear Dutiful Daughter,

On the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services website home page, there is a very useful feature: look to the right and find the box, “Find Someone To Talk To”.  Click on your father’s state and you will get a list of agencies that specialize in helping people understand Medicare and the various plan options.

They can help him with the prescription drug plan too.  But you can also use the Medicare Part D Plan Finder.  You will need his zip code and the names of any prescriptions he has. This will give you a list of plans and links to the insurers.

Linda Riddell

About Linda Riddell

A published author and health policy analyst with 25 years’ experience, Linda Riddell's goal is to alleviate the widespread ailment of not knowing what your health plan can do for you.