Medicare.gov is the official Medicare website, providing information on Medicare in general and on options available to beneficiaries. This site also includes contact information on local organizations who work with Medicare.

Important sections of Medicare.gov lead to further information on the following subjects:

State Health Insurance Counseling and Assistance Programs (SHIP Programs): provides links to SHIP counselors that can: answer your questions and help you understand your health care choices; choose a Medicare plan and/or additional health insurance to meet your needs; help you understand your rights and protections.

Medicare Savings Program: provides links to state websites that include state-specific information about Medicare Savings Programs.

State Insurance Departments: provides links to the State Insurance Department websites that contain information about Medigap (Medicare supplemental insurance) plans sold in the state.

Other Government Websites: has links to other government websites such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration.

Other Health Care Choice Resources: contains links to websites that provide information that consumers may access when making decisions related to hospital choices and nursing homes.

Medicare fraud can cost you higher Medicare premiums, deductibles, and co-payments. Losses due to fraud may also prevent Medicare from offering more services and better coverage. To report Medicare Fraud call 800-434-0222 and ask to speak with a Senior Counselor Against Medicare Swindler (SCAMS).

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) is a national public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, elderly, and people with disabilities. NHeLP serves community-based organizations, legal services programs, the private bar, providers, and individuals who work to preserve a health care safety net for the millions of uninsured or underinsured low-income people. NHeLP has expertise in managed care, Medicare, Medicaid, Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program (EPSDT), safety net programs, consumer protections, and health care rights.

The Health Consumer Alliance (HCA) helps low-income people obtain essential health care. HCA's two main priorities are (1) helping consumers establish or maintain health coverage; and (2) ensuring that low-income consumers with health coverage get good access to essential services, including managed care. Local Consumer Health Centers serve many regions of the state.