Click on other tabs above for information about legal aid providers and courts in your area. Below is legal information on this sub-topic. You can localize this information by clicking on the"Choose Another Location" link in the right column and selecting the area where you live.
PA Health Law Project Toll-Free Helpline - Call: 1-800-274-3258 The PA Health Law Project provides free legal services and advocacy to Pennsylvanians having trouble accessing publicly funded health care coverage or services. For assistance, call the PHLP Helpline at 1-800-274-3258 or 1-866-236-6310 TTY or e-mail the PHLP at staff@phlp.org. Information from the PHLP is also available online at www.phlp.org.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Online Applications, Benefit Screening, Resources and Forms
Mail-in Application for Payment of Medicare Part B Premium (PA 600-M) [PDF]
(Separate Website)
The PA 600M is a mail-in application for payment of the Medicare Part B premium only. It is used to help elderly individuals or individuals with disabilities who are eligible for Medicare to pay some or all of their Medicare Part B premium. A face-to-face interview is not required when using this application. The application cannot be used to apply for Medicaid (Medical Assistance), cash assistance or food stamps.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Medicare Eligibility Tool
(Separate Website)
Screening tool to to provide you with information about your Medicare eligibility and enrollment.
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Cost Estimator
(Separate Website)
The cost estimator is a quick tool to give you a sense of the savings you can anticipate with Medicare Prescription Drug coverage. The cost estimator assumes that you have no current drug coverage or receive any type of discounts, such as from a drug discount card, on your prescription drug cost. If you know what you spend monthly on prescription drugs you can use the cost estimator to see what your potential savings will be by joining a Medicare prescription drug plan. It will also provide you with information on the lowest premium available in your State.
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Medicare Options Compare: Find and Compare Plans- Interactive Tool
(Separate Website)
An interactive tool which helps you narrow down your Medicare health plan choices and choose the plan that's best for you. Choices may include Medicare health plans offering different ways for you to get your Medicare benefits, information about other insurance such as Medigap (Medicare Supplemental Insurance), and ways to pay health care costs.
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Benefits Eligibility Screening Tool (B.E.S.T.)
(Separate Website)
The Social Security Adminisitration's Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) is an online tool that you can use to find out if you could be eligible for benefits from any of the programs Social Security administers. This tool will give you eligibility information based on answers you give on the online form.
By: Social Security Administration
Prescription Drugs and Other Assistance Programs Screening Tool
(Separate Website)
This on-line tool provides information on public and private programs that offer discounted or free medication, programs that provide assistance with other health care costs, and Medicare health plans that include prescription coverage.
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
GovBenefits.gov
(Separate Website)
GovBenefits.gov is a free, online confidential tool that helps you find government benefits you may be eligible to receive.
By: GovBenefits.gov, a partnership of many Federal agencies and organizations
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Eldercare Locator
(Separate Website)
The Eldercare Locator connects older Americans and their caregivers with sources of information on senior services. The service links those who need assistance with state and local area agencies on aging and community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers.
By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Benefits Check Up for Seniors (55+)
(Separate Website)
BenefitsCheckUp is a comprehensive online service to screen for federal, state and some local private and public benefits for older adults (ages 55 and over). BenefitsCheckUp also provides a detailed description of the programs, including the local addresses and phone numbers where to apply.
By: National Council on the Aging
PA Health Insurance Eligibility QuickScreen
(Separate Website)
This is a screening tool that the PA Health Law Project has designed, based upon the State's eligibility rules, to help you to figure out if you may be eligible for free or low-cost health care coverage. It is not an official determination of eligibility nor an application for coverage.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network
A Guide to Medicare and Medical Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: manual for advocates [PDF]
(Separate Website)
A comprehensive guide, created by the Pennsylvania Health Law Project in partnership with Pennsylvania Protection and Advocacy. (PDF Format: 65 pages, 2.7 MB)
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Biling Issues for Consumers with both Medicare and Medical Assistance
(Separate Website)
A guide for Dual Eligible Consumers
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
What is HIPP? - Information on Pennsylvania's Health Insurance Premium Payment Program
(Separate Website)
Information on the PA health Insurance Premium Payment Program
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
What Happens to my SSI, SSDI, and Health Care if I Work? [PDF]
(Separate Website)
Information on how returning to work will impact the income received from SSI or SSDI and how the work will impact the healthcare received from Medical Assistance or Medicare.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
How to Get Services when you are on Medicare and Medical Assistance (Fee for Service)
(Separate Website)
A Consumer’s Guide to Accessing Health Care Through Medicare and Medical Assistance Fee For Service.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Dual Eligibles: Enrolling Medicare Recipients into Medical Assistance
(Separate Website)
Information on Medicaid Coverage for Persons Who Also Have Medicare.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Dual Eligibles' Access to Care: An Advocate's Guide to Assisting the Dual Eligible Consumer in the Philadelphia Area
(Separate Website)
This manual is for advocates and consumers who have Medicare and are also eligible for or enrolled in a Medicaid program. Medicaid in Pennsylvania is called "Medical Assistance? or ?MA.? Persons with Medicare and Medicaid are frequently referred to a ?dual eligibles? due to their being dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Important Information for Full Dual Eligibles Who Are Losing Their Medicare Special Needs Plan
(Separate Website)
Fact sheet explaining the options available to persons whose Special Needs Plans in Pennsylvania will end on December 31, 2009.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Chart For Helping Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries Facing Plan Terminations
(Separate Website)
Decision chart to help Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries facing Plan Terminations on December 31, 2009.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
How to Get Services when you are on Medicare and Medical Assistance (HealthChoices)
(Separate Website)
A Consumer’s Guide to Accessing Health Care Through Medicare and Medical Assistance HealthChoices
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
What if my Medical Providers Speak Only English?
(Separate Website)
Information about your right to be able to communicate with your health care provider
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Medicare Part D - A Guide For Advocates and Providers Who Work With Older Adults in Pennsylvania
(Separate Website)
Comprehensive manual written by M. Francesca Chervenak, Esq. and Erin E. Guay, MA, Pennsylvania Health Law Project Pittsburgh Office.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Choosing a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
(Separate Website)
Things to consider when selecting your Medicare prescriptioon drug plan.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Information - Part D
(Separate Website)
Overview of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Medicare Part D Standard Zero Premium Prescription Drug Plans 2010
(Separate Website)
In Pennsylvania, all dual eligibles and those who receive a full low income subsidy (LIS) will have no premium if they enroll in any of the Part D stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans listed here in 2010. Dual eligibles and those with a full LIS will also have no deductible, no donut hole, and will only have small co-pays for each of their medications.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
How Does the Medicare Part D Affect Me If I Also Have Medical Assistance
(Separate Website)
Information on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit for people with both Medicare and Medical Assistance.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Important Information: Medicare Beneficiaries with Prescription Coverage Through Medical Assistance
Important Information for Medicare beneficiaries who also have prescription coverage through Medical Assistance (the ACCESS card) about what you need to do by December 31, 2005.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
How Does the Medicare Prescription Benefit Affect me if I'm Already Enrolled in a Medicare HMO?
(Separate Website)
Information on how the Medicare Prescription benefit affects consumers who are already enrolled in a Medicare HMO.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Important Information: Medicare Beneficiaries Who Have Prescription Coverage Through a Medicaid HMO
Important Information for Medicare Beneficiaries who also have prescription coverage through a Medical Assistance HMO (Gateway, MedPlus+, or UPMC For You) on what you need to do by December 31, 2005.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
How Does the Medicare Prescription Benefit Affect Me if I Have a Medigap Policy?
(Separate Website)
Information about Medigap Policies and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Pennsylvania Stand-Alone Standard Prescription Drug Plans
(Separate Website)
Listing of Medicare Prescription Drug plans which have no premium for consumers who get the full subsidy ("Extra Help").
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
The PACE and PACENET Programs Explained
(Separate Website)
Information on PACE and PACENET, as well as PACE plus Medicare, as it is applied to assist eligible seniors who need help paying for prescription drugs.
By: Pennsylvania Health Law Project
Medicare
(Separate Website)
Booklet providing basic information and overview of the Medicare program.
By: Social Security Administration
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Understanding Medicare: Medicare in Simple Terms (Video)
This video, hosted by Hugh Downs, shows you how to resolve questions or problems with Medicare quickly through toll-free telephone help numbers and provides valuable information on the latest changes to the program. (1994)
By: Health Care Financing Administration
Medicare.gov: Prescription Drug Coverage
(Separate Website)
Information on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit from Medicare.gov
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Choosing a Medicare Managed Care Plan - A Guide for Medicare Beneficiaries
(Separate Website)
Report listing Medicare Managed Care Plans in Pennsylvania by region, giving comparisons on monthly premiums and co-payments, how well each plan does on several quality measurements, descriptions of the benefits they offer, and the results of patient satisfaction surveys.
By: Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council
Hospital Compare - A quality tool for adults, including people with Medicare
(Separate Website)
This tool provides you with information on how well the hospitals in your area care for all their adult patients with certain medical conditions. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide.
By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Guide to Medicare Preventive Services [PDF]
(Separate Website)
Information about preventive services that may be covered by Medicare.
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
"MOM" Law - Medicare Overcharge Measure
(Separate Website)
Information on the law that was enacted to protect people on Medicare from being overcharged by doctors and other health care practitioners by making it illegal in Pennsylvania to charge a higher fee than that approved by Medicare.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Aging
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