|
Related Sites Health Care Financing Administration |
U.S. launches huge Medicare education campaign
Posted
10-4-99 Washington. In one of the largest public education campaigns ever, Medicare in September began mailing more than 32 million handbooks to help guide the program's beneficiaries through the maze of managed care. The $133 million campaign is backed up by a Web site, www.medicare.gov, with nearly 1 million pages of information and a toll-free telephone line, (800) 633-4227, that is already receiving 5,000 calls a day from beneficiaries eager to learn how to choose among hundreds of competing Medicare-approved health plans. Tricia Smith, senior federal health coordinator for the American Association of Retired Persons, which for years has championed better education of Medicare consumers, said the effort "is a task of a magnitude that has never been undertaken by anyone in the public or private sector." Healthcare experts and government administrators agree that the elderly are often confused about the costs and benefits of choosing a health plan in today's competitive marketplace. The booklet, which comes in 26 regional versions, tries to simplify matters by providing basic information on what the traditional program covers, the options for supplemental Medigap insurance, and the basics on managed care plans available in a beneficiary's region. The booklet also includes comparisons of the cost and quality of the plans. Some critics worry, however, that even this may not be enough. Studies show that seniors do not make decisions based on statistical data and often need face-to-face help deciding about their health care. And Medicare recipients may find the sheer quantity of information in the booklet overwhelming, Smith said. "While the booklet itself is probably about as good a piece as you can put together, it is nonetheless sort of overwhelming because they have to lay it all out," she said.
|