Your Medicare Rights

1.  BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT AT ALL TIMES

2.  BE PROTECTED FROM DISCRIMINATION.
     Discrimination is against the law.

Every company or agency that works with Medicare must follow Civil Rights laws.

They cannot discriminate against you because of your:

Race  Color  National Origin  Disability  Age  Religion

If you think you have been discriminated against for any of these reasons, call the Office for Civil Rights in your state.

You can get this number from two sources:

www.medicare.gov on the internet.  Select "Helpful Contacts"

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

Someone is available to assist with language, physical, or communication barriers, if needed.

3.  GET INFORMATION ABOUT MEDICARE THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND TO HELP YOU MAKE HEALTH CARE DECISIONS.

This information includes:

What is Covered  What Costs are Paid  How Much You Have to Pay  How to File a Complaint

You can have someone help you make decisions when you need it.

4.  HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEDICARE PROGRAM ANSWERED.

To get your questions answered, you can call:

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) TTY Users should call 1-877-486-2048.  English/Spanish is available.

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.

5.  GET EMERGENCY CARE WHEN AND WHERE YOU NEED IT.

A medical emergency is when you think your health is in serious danger - when every second counts.

If you think your health is in danger because you have a bad injury, sudden illness, or an illness quickly

getting much worse, you can get emergency care anywhere in the United States.

If you are in Medicare+Choice Plan, you don't need to get permission from your primary care physician

before you get emergency care.  Your primary care physician is the physician you see first for health

problems.  If you get emergency care, you will have to pay your regular share of the cost (copayment).

Then your plan will pay its share.  If your plan doesn't pay its share for your emergency care, you have

the right to appeal.

6.  LEARN ABOUT ALL OF YOUR TREATMENT CHOICES IN CLEAR LANGUAGE THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.

You have the right to fully participate in all your health care decisions.  If you can't fully participate,

you can ask family members, friends, or anyone you trust to help you make a decision about what

treatment is right for you.  Medicare health plans can't have rules that stop your doctor from telling

you what you need to know about your treatment choices.

7.  FILE A COMPLAINT.

You can file a complaint about payment, services you received, other concerns or problems you have

in getting healthcare, and the quality of healthcare you received.

Your Medicare Appeals Rights:

You have the right to appeal any official decision about your Medicare services

such as billing, payment, or service issues.

You can appeal if Medicare does not:

pay for a Medicare-covered item or service you have been given

  pay enough for an item or service you have been given

  give you a Medicare-covered item or service you think you should get

For more information on filing an appeal, call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.

Your Medicare Quality of Care Concerns

You have a right to file a complaint if you think you aren't getting quality services or you

have quality of care issues.  This type of complaint is called a "grievance" if you are enrolled

in a Medicare+Choice Plan.  If you want to file a complaint about the quality of health care

you have received, call the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) in your state.  If you

are enrolled in a Medicare+Choice Plan, you may also call your plan.

You may also file a complaint if you think your privacy rights have been violated.  If you are in the

Original Medicare Plan, see the Notice of Privacy Practices for the Original Medicare Plan.  If you

are enrolled in a Medicare+Choice Plan, call your health plan directly for more information.

8.  HAVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION THAT MEDICARE COLLECTS ABOUT YOU KEPT PRIVATE.

Medicare may collect information about you as part of its regular business, such as paying

your health care bills and making sure you get quality health care.  Medicare keeps the

information it collects about you private.  When Medicare asks for your personal

information, they must tell you the following:

Why it is needed  Is it required or optional  What happens if you don't give information  How it will be used

If you want to know more about how Medicare uses your personal information, call 

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).  TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

Your state may have additional privacy laws that protect your personal information.  If you

want to know about the laws in your state, call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.

9.  TALK WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN PRIVATE AND HAVE YOUR INFORMATION KEPT PRIVATE.

There is a new patient privacy rule that gives you more access to your own medical records

and more control over how your personal health information is used by your health care provider

or health plan.  Health plans and covered health providers must give you a notice that clearly

explains these rights and practices.  If you are enrolled in the Original Medicare Plan, see the

Notice of Privacy Practices.  If you are enrolled in a Medicare+Choice Plan, your plan materials

describe your privacy rights.