SENIOR CITIZENS AND MANAGED CARE

 

This document provides five sites and five document links to web sites that supply information on senior citizens and managed care.  Sites and documents are rated on their relevance to the topic of senior citizens and managed care in relation to information in general regarding health care choices, advocacy, and caregiver resources.  The sites are rated from one to five stars, with five being the most useful and informative for the aspects of the stated topic

SITES
 

 

2. MEDICARE

http://www.medicare.gov).
 

3.  FIRSTGOV FOR SENIORS

http://www.seniors.gov/health.html

This site is a subdivision of the Firstgov for seniors website (http://www.seniors.gov/) and is maintained by the Social Security Administration.The main purpose of this site is to provide useful links regarding medical coverage.This site provides links to Making Your Health Benefits Work for you, Government healthcare programs and healthcare Acts such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act).This site also includes a paragraph on understanding health care choices before retiring.This site is very easy to use when selecting any of the supplied links.

Star rating: ***

4.  AGENET – SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER AGING

http://agenet.agenet.com/

This site is a major subdivision of the Agenet.com site.It provides consumer information for seniors and caregivers.Clicking the mouse pointer on Insurance or Caregiver from the homepage leads to useful information for seniors and caregivers.The Insurance link contains information on Medicare and home health as well as insurance related articles for seniors and caregivers.The Caregiver link also includes information on how to choose a nursing home inclusive of insurance choices.There are also links within these sites to Medicare, Medicaid and HMO denial information.The language is straightforward and easy to understand.

Star rating: ***

5.  UNITED SENIORS HEALTH COOPERATIVE

http://www.unitedseniorshealth.org/

This site is designed to provide information for assisting people to better help themselves.At first glance, this site is promising.The most impressive link within this site is forFinding Reliable Consumer Health Information on the Internet with subsequent links to other sites.This site was last updated in November of 2000.This site does not live up to its expectations.

Star rating: **

DOCUMENTS

1. 9 WAYS TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR MANAGED HEALTH CARE PLAN

http://www.aarp.org/hcchoices/9ways/home.html

This document is located within the AARP Educated Health Care Choices web site.The focus of this document is on understanding your managed care plan and advocacy within the managed care environment, inclusive of information and resource links for appealing decisions.The format is straightforward and the language is easy to understand. 
 

Star rating: *** 1/2

2.  CHECKUP ON HEALTH INSURANCE CHOICES AND CHOOSING AND USING A HEALTH PLAN

http://www.ahcpr.gov/consumer/insuranc.htmAND http://www.ahcpr.gov/consumer/hlthpln1.htm

These documents are part of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website (http://www.ahcpr.gov/).They are designed to provide information to assist persons in choosing an appropriate health care plan and navigating through the managed care environment.This document is easy to navigate and understand and also includes a glossary for understanding health insurance terms and a listing of advocacy contacts.

Star rating: ***

3.  MEDICARE HEALTH PLAN COMPARE

http://www.medicare.gov/MPHCompare/Home.asp

This document provides information on original Medicare, Medicare managed care plans, and Medicare fee-for-service plans.The user goes through five steps that are easy to follow.The document can be searched by state, zip code, or geographic area.Detailed or basic information is provided on cost, benefits, quality, and people leaving for all plans or those that you select.If necessary, help is provided to assistance with searching the database.

Star rating: ***

4. FEDERAL PROGRAMS FOR OLDER PERSONSHEALTH & INSURANCE

(http://www.state.nj.us/health/senior/federalbenefits/health.htm)

This is a document within the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Federal Programs for Older Persons web site.Most of the information in this document concerns Medicare and Medicare managed care plans, but it does a good job in supplying general information on each topic listed without overwhelming the reader.This is a good document to with which to begin.

Star rating: *** 1/2

5. MEDICARE MANAGED CARE: USING CONSUMER LAW TO ENFORCE PATIENTS' RIGHTS

http://www.consumerlaw.org/seniors_initiative/98mancare.html

This document is contained within the National Consumer Law Center Inc. web site (http://www.consumerlaw.org/).It is designed primarily to provide advocates for seniors with information and resources to assist seniors with issues and understanding their rights in the managed care environment.Strictly for the serious health care advocate.

Star rating: ** 1/2