Medicare Gives Caregivers Online Answers

We can thank the people at Medicare's call centers for a new Web portal specifically designed for caregivers.

Medicare's main site ( http://www.medicare.gov) is so packed with information for beneficiaries and doctors in addition to caregivers that finding the precise nugget you need can be difficult.

The new site ( http://www.medicare.gov/caregivers), says Kerry Weems, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, aims to answer basic questions that Medicare staffers have been fielding by phone.

The site points users to basic information with labels such as "Medicare Basics" and "Is It Covered?" And in mid-December, the site will launch a ratings feature for thousands of nursing homes in the United States.

But you may need guidance to use the caregiver site for information on Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program whose sign-up period runs from Saturday until Dec. 31. It takes several clicks to access general information. For example, you need to go to "Help with Billing" and click on "Is It Covered?" From there, click "Prescription Drug Plan" on the left, followed by "Basic Information" in the middle of the page that pops up.

During the sign-up period, basic drug plan information also will be available at http://www.medicare.gov by clicking "Prescription Drug Plan," but remember: It's difficult to access other potentially relevant information on that site.

Other sources, public and private, offer drug plan guidance, including one-on-one counseling. Contact the Medicare Rights Center at http://www.medicarerights.org or 800-333-4114, or a state health insurance assistance program at http://www.shiptalk.org or at 800-243-3425 (Maryland), 800-552-3402 (Virginia) and 202-739-0668 (the District).

-- Francesca Lunzer Kritz