Medicare.gov Tour
Master your Medicare account online.
Most useful tools
- Find a doctor — "Find & Compare" tool.
- Plan Finder — compare Part D + Advantage.
- Care Compare — hospital + nursing home ratings.
- What's covered — coverage lookup.
- Costs — what you'll pay.
- Get forms — appeals, change plans.
- Track claims.
Setup MyMedicare
- Go to medicare.gov/account.
- Login.gov or ID.me account.
- Need: Medicare number, last 4 SSN.
- Verify identity.
- Sign in for personalized info.
Plan Finder = annual must
- Open Enrollment Oct 15 - Dec 7 yearly.
- Use Plan Finder to compare.
- Enter your medications.
- See cheapest Part D plan FOR YOU.
- Most seniors save $200-1,500/yr by switching.
- Free + 30 min worth your time.
Care Compare
- Star ratings 1-5 for hospitals.
- Doctor ratings.
- Nursing home quality.
- Home health agency ratings.
- Hospice ratings.
- Use BEFORE big medical decisions.
- 4-5 stars = significantly better outcomes.
Free help: SHIP
- State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
- shiphelp.org or 1-877-839-2675.
- Free 1-on-1 Medicare counselors.
- Help with Plan Finder.
- Compare plans for your meds.
- Better than ANY salesperson — they're unbiased.
Avoid sales call
Insurance "agents" calling about Medicare = often scammer or commission salesperson. Use Medicare.gov directly. Use SHIP for advice. Avoid Medicare Advantage TV ads with celebrities — they push specific plans for commission. Compare on plan finder yourself.