Useful Links
USEFULL LINKS
Social Security Administration:
Main Phone Number: 1-800-772-1213
Main Page: SSA.gov
Find your Local Social Security Office: https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
Apply for Medicare: https://secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/rib
Apply for Social Security Benefits: https://secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/rib
Estimate Your Social Security Benefits
Knowing what you will get every month in retirement benefits helps you plan for your retirement. If you have a personal my Social Security account, you can get an estimate of your personalized retirement benefits and see the effects of different retirement age scenarios. If you don’t have a personal my Social Security account, create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
MEDICARE
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among its many responsibilities is overseeing Medicare.
Get a free PDF copy of the Medicare & You handbook
Medicare & You in English, print [PDF, 3519 KB](this looks like the paper handbook you get in the mail)
Drug Costs
- Find out if your state offers help paying for drug costs
- Find out if the company that makes your drug offers help paying for it
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program.
Call your State Medical Assistance (Medicaid) office for more information and to see if you qualify.
CMS Helps You Choose Hospitals Accepting Medicare In Your Area
Search for Medicare Health Providers
Look at a hospital's overall and patient star ratings:
The overall rating is based on how well a hospital performs across different areas of quality, like treating heart attacks or safety of care. The patient survey star rating measures patients' experiences of their hospital care.
Compare a hospital's performance against national averages
for patient experiences, timely and effective care, complications, and more.
Find and compare Medicare-certified nursing homes based on a location
Compare the quality of care they provide and their staffing. A nursing home is a place for people who can't be cared for at home and need 24-hour nursing care.
The FTC’s mission is to vigorously enforce the law to protect Americans from anticompetitive, unfair, and deceptive business practices, without unduly burdening legitimate business activity.
VISIT THE FTC WEBSITE @ WWW.FTC.GOV to learn about the FTC's resources available to help you protect yoursef.
YOU ARE ENTITLED TO ONE FREE CREDIT REPORT ANNUALLY.
The three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — have a centralized website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address so you can order your free annual reports in one place. Do not contact the three credit bureaus individually. These are the only ways to order your free annual credit reports:
- visit AnnualCreditReport.com
- call 1-877-322-8228, or
- complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
The National Council on Aging is a great resource for many aspects of retired life from financial assistance programs that range from property tax relief to help with utility bills and much more. I encourage all to visit this site - it may help you, or help you help someone else!
Take time to explore the entire site!
Another great resource, and is easy to navigate and concise answers to most questions. There's also a section for caregivers which can be a great resource for those called upon to assist a spouse, family member or neighbor.