Healthy Aging

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Health Insurance

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• Additional Resources

Health insurance is a formal agreement to provide and pay for medical care. What is covered depends on the type of insurance you have. Insurance options for older adults include Medicare, Medicaid, and individual policies. There are also programs that can help those who are uninsured. These programs can also help insured people who need additional services.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.     2009 Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare — This guide has easy steps to help you buy Medicare Supplement Insurance.

   http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02110.pdf

2.   Age Page: Choosing a Doctor — Good medical care does not happen by accident. It is important to have a doctor who knows you and your health problems and who understands the special health care needs of older people. A personal physician, or primary care physician, can help you make medical decisions and can oversee the care you get from specialists.

   http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/choosing.htm

3.   Fact Sheet — Health Insurance and Women — This publication explains what health insurance is and how it affects women. It gives information on health care options, what to do if you're uninsured, what to do if you don't qualify for government benefits, and what you can do to protect your health insurance benefits.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/health-insurance-women.cfm

4.     Guide to Medicare Preventive Services — There are steps you can take to lower your risk of disease and illness. Medicare is providing coverage for these preventive services to help you stay healthy. Read this publication for more information on covered services, and talk with your doctor about your risk of developing these health problems and your need for these preventive services.

   http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10110.pdf

5.   Health and Aging Organizations — This online resource directory is a comprehensive listing of organizations that support the aging community. The directory provides names, addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers of organizations which provide information and other resources on matters relevant to the needs of older adults.

   http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/ResourceDirectory.htm

6.     Medicare & You 2010 — This publication provides information on Medicare benefits: who's eligible, how to enroll, what medical/hospital expenses are covered, and how much of the bill you are responsible for paying.

   http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf

Organizations

1.   National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
2. America’s Health Insurance Plans
3. The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated March 5, 2009.