Consumers
seeking aging and disability care services frequently face the task of finding out
what choices are available to them. This may be a simple matter of finding
out Whom to Contact for more information or
locating Area providers. It can, however, be more
complex where the range of options available to consumers is more technical or broader
than might otherwise be expected.
Consumer guides and references where available, traditionally in booklets but now generally also online,
provide background information, describe
alternative choices and present step-by-step guidelines on factors to consider in making decisions.
This section includes brief abstracts, links and contact information for consumer guides and
references. If you know of other guides or references for consumers on aging and disability
care and service topics, please e-mail feedback@cacad.org
so we may include them below.
Consumer guide and reference publications have currently been identified on the topics of:
In addition to these and others on care and
services, there are many important publications available on health and
wellness which provide guidelines or "rules of thumb" for health,
fitness, safety and prevention. The Aging Well Village from the NYS Office
for the Aging provides a starting point to find these Web pages and to search
for more. Also see our many Surf the Web pages!
ACCESS NOTE
Many of these documents (and others listed on this web site) are in Portable Document Format (.pdf),
a proprietary format developed by
ADOBETM that requires a plug-in for
your browser to be able to read them. Your browser probably already has it, but may not.
DOWNLOAD the Adobe Reader from Adobe
-
CONVERT PDF files to HTML format from Adobe
![[bullet]](../gifs/sunxxs.gif)
Medicare
There is extensive information available on Medicare, including the booklet
"Medicare and You"
(.pdf document: if you need the reader plug-in, download it from
ADOBETM). It is also
generally available at local Offices for the Aging and local DSS &
DoH offices.
Medicare Health Maintenance Organizations
(HMOs)
Medicare Managed Care
is online guide published by the
New York State Office for the Aging's
HIICAP Program to help
Medicare beneficiaries and their families make informed decisions about
Medicare HMOs. It provides step-by-step information in ten sections beginning
with an introduction to Medicare Health Maintenance Organizations:
- Medicare Health Maintenance Organizations
- Why Join An HMO?
- Who Can Enroll In A Medicare HMO?
- Medicare Risk and Cost Contracts
- What to Consider Before Joining an HMO
- What if You Have a Complaint About Your HMO?
- Medicare Managed Care Appeal Process
- Where to Go for Help
- New York State Counties With Medicare HMOs
- Medicare HMO Comparison Guide
The guide is online at
http://hiicap.state.ny.us/hmos/index.htm
and may be requested from your local office for the
aging or by calling the HIICAP Clearinghouse at 518-473-5108 or the Senior
Citizens' Hot Line at 800-342-9871.
The annual
Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare is a related publication of the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (www.medicare.gov). It is available online at
http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02110.pdf
together with many other Medicare publications including:
- Medicare & You
- Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home
- Medicare Hospice Benefits
- Medicare Questions & Answers
- Home Health
- Patient Rights
- Understanding Your Medicare Choices
- Worksheet for Comparing Medicare Health Plans
- Medicare Appeals and Grievances (Complaints)
Go to Medicare.gov's
Publications Page
to make online selections.
You may also order paper copies of selected Medicare
publications by calling the toll-free hotline number 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227) TDD 1-877-486-2048.
Medicare Part D
(Prescription Drug Coverage)
The new Medicare Part D, prescription drug Coverage program, is complex and requires significant effort on the part of beneficiaries.
Help is available online from the following sources:
HIICAP, from
the New York State Office for the Aging.
Medicare.gov, from the the Federal Government's
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS).
Medicare.gov has a comprehensive rules-based system to screen for applicable
prescrition drug plans, and the complete registration process can be completed on line.
[For consumers, the Medicare.gov website, www.medicare.gov,
is probably more useful than the CMS
web site, (www.cms.hhs.gov).]
Long Term Care
Long Term Care Planning & Insurance is consumer reference
published online by HIICAP, the New York State Office for the Aging's
Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Program. It provides consumers an introduction to long term
care and helpful information on long term care clients, services, providers and more.
The reference is available only online at
http://hiicap.state.ny.us/ltc/index.htm
Insurance for Long Term Care Services in New York State
is an online guide published by the New York State Office for the Aging to provide
a step-by-step introduction to long term care choices.
The guide is available online at
hiicap.state.ny.us/ltc/nys.htm. Further questions
may be addressed to your local office for the aging or
by calling the HIICAP Clearinghouse at 518-473-5108 or the Senior Citizens' Hot Line at 800-342-9871.
Representing People with Disabilities
Representing People with Disabilities
is a publication of the New York State Bar Association (3rd edition published in 2000 with a supplement in 2003).
It is designed for the general practitioner, the specialist and the "nonlawyer" advocate.
It is a comprehensive reference on the many legal concerns of people with disabilities, includes an
in-depth examination of the Americans with Disabilities Act and covers the law
regarding the appointment of guardians. The reference is a "one-stop"
overview of the legal framework affecting individuals with disabilities.
For ordering and additional information on this reference see the
N.Y.S. Bar Assoc.
|
|
