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What's Medicare doing to better coordinate my care?

Medicare continues to look for ways to better coordinate your care and to make sure that you get the best health care possible.

Here are examples of how your health care providers can better coordinate your care:

Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
EHRs are records that your doctor, other health care provider, medical office staff, or hospital keeps on a computer about your health care or treatments.

  • EHRs can help lower the chances of medical errors, eliminate duplicate tests, and may improve your overall quality of care.
  • Your doctor's EHR may be able to link to a hospital, lab, pharmacy, other doctors, or immunization information systems (registries), so the people who care for you can have a more complete picture of your health.

Electronic prescribing
This is an electronic way for your prescribers to send your prescriptions directly to your pharmacy. Electronic prescribing can save you money and time, and help keep you safe.

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
An ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals, and/or other health care providers that work together to improve the quality and experience of care you get. ACOs help health care providers better coordinate your care and give you a better quality car. Coordinated care saves time and costs by avoiding repeated tests and unneeded appointments. It may make it easier to spot potential problems before they become more serious - like drug interactions that can happen if one doctor isn't aware of what another has prescribed. 

An ACO can't limit your choice of health care providers. Your Medicare benefits aren't changing. You still have the right to visit any doctor, hospital, or other provider that accepts Medicare at any time. 

An ACO isn't a Medicare Advantage Plan, which is an "all in one" alternative to Original Medicare, offered by private companies approved by Medicare. It is also not an HMO plan or an insurance plan of any kind.

Are there other ways to get Medicare information?

Publications
Visit Medicare.gov/publications to view, print, or download copies of publications on different Medicare topics. You can also call 1-800-633-4227, TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. Accessible formats are available at no cost.

Social Media
Stay up to date and connect with other people with Medicare by following us on ( Facebook (facebook.com/Medicare) and Twitter ( twitter.com/MedicareGov).


Videos
Visit YouTube.com/cmshhsgov to see videos covering different health care topics.


Blogs
Visit Medicare.gov/blog for up-to-date information on important topics.


Other helpful contacts

Social Security
Find out if you're eligible for Part A and/or Part B and how to enroll, make changes to your Part A and/or Part B coverage, get a replacement Social Security card, report a change to your address or name, apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs, ask questions about Part A and Part B premiums, and report a death.

1-800-772-1213; TTY users 1-800-325-0778


Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC)
Contact the BCRC to report changes in your insurance information or to let Medicare know if you have other insurances.

1-855-798-2627; TTY users 1-855-797-2627

Beneficiary and Family-Centered Care-Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO)
Contact your BFCC-QIO to ask questions or report complaints about the quality of care you got for Medicare-covered services (if you aren't satisfied with the way your provider has responded to your concern). You can also contact your BFCC-QIO if you think Medicare coverage for your service is ending too soon.

Visit Medicare.gov/contacts, or call 1-800-633-4227 to get the phone number of your BFCC-QIO, TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.


Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
If you get benefits from the RRB, call them to change your address or name, check eligibility, enroll in Medicare, replace your Medicare card, or report a death.

1-877-772-5772, TTY users 1-312-751-4701
rrb.gov




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