Medicare for You

Medicare for You: A Smart Person's Guide by Diane J. Omdahl, RN, MS (2023) 252 pages

For those of us who are approaching the age for signing up for Medicare, this is a valuable guide. The author describes the differences between traditional Medicare (along with Medicare Supplements/Medigap coverage) and the numerous Medicare Advantage plans, and the important information one needs to know before signing up. One of the critical things I learned was that if one first opts for traditional Medicare along with a Supplement/Medigap policy, one is accepted without regard to previous medical conditions. However, if one first chooses a Medicare Advantage Plan, and then later wants to switch to traditional Medicare, the companies who provide supplemental plans for traditional Medicare will submit your health information to underwriting and can reject coverage for you.

Some other items included:

• Description of what traditional Medicare covers
• Advice to look closely at the networks for the various Medicare Advantage plans. Often these is no coverage when out-of-network providers are used.
• Charts comparing Medicare Supplement plans
• Prescription drug coverage
• Computer link to find doctors who will accept Medicare assignment
• Helpful information on the costs of Medicare, including extra costs if one's income is beyond a certain threshold. 
• Information on how to find updated information

This book has a clear table of contents and index for quick look-up. Additionally, it does not assume the reader is already familiar with Medicare, which makes it a very useful guide.