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Articles
October 27, 2025
Managing Medicare Costs: Medigap, Extra Help, and Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Manage Medicare costs alone: Understand Medigap plans, financial assistance programs, out-of-pocket expenses. Protect your budget as a widow.
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October 27, 2025
Medicare & Your Lifestyle: Common Questions Answered
Medicare lifestyle guide for widows: Dental, vision, hearing coverage, travel tips, HMO vs PPO explained, working past 65. Real-world answers.
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October 27, 2025
Medicare Basics for Widows: Understanding Parts A, B, C, and D
Learn Medicare basics for widows. Understand Parts A, B, C & D, compare Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage, and choose the right coverage path.
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October 27, 2025
Your Medicare Enrollment Playbook: When & How to Sign Up
Medicare enrollment guide for widows: Learn IEP windows, avoid late penalties, understand Special Enrollment Periods. Enroll with confidence.
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Helpful websites and publications
- Centers for Independent Living (CILs) assist people with disabilities of all incomes and ages with focus on consumer control. Note that many AAAs and CILs are ADRCs
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides information about Medicare coverage, Medicare health plans, Medicare quality initiatives and free publications. The Medicare Helpline: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) TTY: 1-877-486-2048.
- Find your state Medical Assistance Office. Your State Medical Assistance Office can give you information about state programs that help pay health and nursing home costs, as well as services in the community, for people with low incomes and limited resources.
- Find the phone number for your state through the link above. You can also call 1-800- MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
- Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home (PDF) from CMS gives detailed information about choosing a nursing home, including a nursing home checklist.
- Medicare & You Handbook (PDF) gives a summary of Medicare benefits, rights and protections, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about Medicare.
- Medicare Coverage of Skilled Nursing Facility Care (PDF) gives detailed information about Medicare covered skilled care, including your rights and protections and where to get help with questions.
- National Center for Assisted Living has information to help people make decisions about nursing and assisted living facilities.
- National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care represents consumers in issues related to long-term care, helping to ensure that consumers are empowered to advocate for themselves. They are a source of information and tools for consumers, families, caregivers, advocates and ombudsmen to help ensure quality care for residents. View their Consumer Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home (PDF).
- Nursing Home Quality Initiative is a CMS program that provides consumer and provider information regarding the quality of care in nursing homes.
- Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) assist nursing home residents and family members understand nursing home quality. A QIO is a group of practicing doctors and other health care experts paid by the federal government to check and improve the care given to people with Medicare. QIOs are available to help beneficiaries who have questions about how to use the quality information in selecting a nursing home.
- Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program The IMPACT Act of 2014 requires that CMS develop and implement quality measures from 5 quality measure domains using standardized assessment data. The Act also requires the development and reporting of measures pertaining to resource use, hospitalization, and discharge to the community.
- State Technology Assistance Project has information on medical equipment and other assistive technology. Get the contact information for your state through the link or call (703) 524-6686