Untangling Medicare
Celebrating Medicare's 60th birthday gives me an opportunity to talk with my long-time friend and co-author Dr. Mehmet Oz, now the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, about how to better choose and use the different forms of Medicare.
Step by step: Medicare serves around 69 million Americans; 90% are over age 65 and the remaining are folks with a disability, end-stage renal disease, or ALS. Overall, about half of the participants are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the rest in original Medicare.
Determining which works for you depends in part on your budget and your ability to maintain supplemental coverage to fill in what Medicare doesn't pay for. Medicare Advantage may be your best option.
You also need to consider your geographic location (how far you will have to travel to get to a hospital or see a specialist) and identify your short- and long-term health concerns and find out which of your doctors and hospitals participate in each program type. Last but not least, you want to determine if you need or want wellness coverage for vision, dental, hearing, etc.
If that sounds like a lot to sift through, you're not alone in the journey. "Whatever your situation," says Dr. Oz, "CMS is committed to creating a health care system that focuses on prevention and fosters wellness and chronic disease management." For guidance on how to choose and use Medicare, check out "What Is Original Medicare?" at aarp.com and "Compare Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage" at Medicare.gov.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.longevityplaybook.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@longevityplaybook.com.
(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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