Hospital Care is important and it is better to ask questions before a life threatening problem. Here is a checklist you can use to find the hospital care that fits your Medicare plans.
Ask your doctor or health care provider
1) Which hospitals do you work with?
2) Which hospital has the best care and results for my conditions?
3) How were your other patients treated at that hospital?
4) Why do you recommend this hospital for my hospital care? What are you basing your recommendation on? Why is this the best hospital for me?
Find out if the hospital:
5) Is accredited (voluntarily met national health and safety standards) by a national organization.
6) Checks and improves its quality of care? Ask how problems with care are handled.
7) Is conveniently located for you. Can you and your family get there easily for planned or emergency care?
8) Has convenient visiting hours and other rules that are important to you and your family.
9) Is clean. Visit the hospital and look around. Do the rooms look comfortable?
10) Does the hospital have rooms that offer privacy?
Check with your insurance company or health plan to see whether you:
11) Have to go to a certain hospital for non-emergency care or whether you can choose your hospital.
12) Have to pay a different amount depending on which hospital you use.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Compare Hospital Care Tool: Medicare Supplement
Hospital Compare Tool
In this tool you will find information on how well hospitals care for patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures, and results from a survey of patients about the quality of care they received during a recent hospital stay. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide when choosing Medicare options. Talk to your doctor about this information to help you, your family and your friends make your best hospital care and Medicare decisions.
Hospital Compare was created through the efforts of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services, and other members of the Hospital Quality Alliance: Improving Care Through Information (HQA).
When it comes to Medicare and Hospital Care doing research can save your life.
In this tool you will find information on how well hospitals care for patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures, and results from a survey of patients about the quality of care they received during a recent hospital stay. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide when choosing Medicare options. Talk to your doctor about this information to help you, your family and your friends make your best hospital care and Medicare decisions.
Hospital Compare was created through the efforts of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services, and other members of the Hospital Quality Alliance: Improving Care Through Information (HQA).
When it comes to Medicare and Hospital Care doing research can save your life.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Information about Replacing a Medicare Card
The Medicare card looks like a red, white and blue card.
What You Should Know
- Your Medicare card will arrive in the mail in about 30 days.
- It will be mailed to the address Social Security has on file for you.
- If you need proof that you have Medicare sooner than 30 days, you also can request a letter which you will receive in about 10 days.
- If you need proof immediately for your doctor or for a prescription, visit your nearest Social Security office.
If You Have Moved
- If you have moved and have not reported this to Social Security, you will need to report this change to them before we can process your request.
- If you have moved and have reported this to Social Secuirty recently, you will need to contact them before we can process your request.
How to block access to your personal information
If you want to prevent online and automated telephone access to your personal information, you can block access to your personal information.
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