Getting health care for yourself or a loved one is a big responsibility, especially if you’ve just started Medicare or you’ve had a life change, such as a new diagnosis of a condition or disease.
It can be overwhelming if you need services like nursing home care, find a new doctor, or receive health care at home.
Using an online tool like “Find Care Providers” on Medicare.gov makes it easy to compare and can help you choose doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and more for you or the person you’re helping care for. Consider these benefits of using comparison tools to narrow down your options.
A resource for research
Making decisions as a caregiver can be challenging, but taking advantage of the resources available can help you feel more confident in your choices.
For example, Medicare.gov allows you to find information about health care providers, hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, home health agencies, dialysis facilities, inpatient rehabilitation and long-term care hospitals near you. The website also provides quality ratings, so you can see the service history of the provider or facility, among other details that help you make the most informed decision for the person you are helping.
The website offers a simple search and comparison experience that allows you to find suppliers near you Simply enter a zip code and provider type to get a list of providers, their contact information and a map of locations. The information even includes “star ratings” and services provided The tool can be used to find all types of providers, including doctors, hospitals, home health care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation providers, hospices and dialysis facilities.
For example, two sisters need to find a suitable nursing home for their father. It proved to be a difficult, emotional decision. They didn’t know what nursing homes were in the area where she lived, so they entered her zip code and searched for nursing homes. Then they got a list of everyone in his area, complete with ratings as well as staffing data and inspection reports.
Using a laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile device, you can see how patients rate their care experience at hospitals in your area and find home health agencies that offer services you may need, such as nursing care, physical therapy and occupational therapy. Therapy
Contact information for local inpatient rehabilitation facilities or long-term care hospitals is available, as well as hospice quality care ratings and specific care details, such as dialysis facilities offering home dialysis training.
Seeking health care services
Many factors influence who you trust with your health care. In some cases, family, caregivers or friends can provide referrals to doctors or medical facilities based on their own experience and can be a helpful guide.
Whether you have a referral or are starting from scratch, you can use the Medicare.gov tool to compare health care providers near you to see which categories of services you need, whether it’s doctors and therapists, hospitals, hospice and home health agencies, dialysis facilities, inpatient rehabilitation centers. or nursing home.
In addition to searching by your location using a combination of your address or city, state or zip code, you can search by provider type and keywords to create a list of providers that fit your needs.
Using an online tool like “Find Care Providers” on Medicare.gov makes it easy to compare and can help you choose doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and more for you or the person you’re helping care for.
triloks/Getty ImagesFinding a doctor who fits
When you’re looking for a new doctor and aren’t sure where to start, the tool makes it quick and easy to find and compare doctors in your area. You can find contact information, practice locations, specialties and hospital affiliations as well as hospital ratings.
Selecting the “Compare” button allows you to compare three different healthcare providers at once. When you’re ready for a visit with a new provider, be sure to take time during your schedule call to verify general information such as the office location, whether the office is accepting new patients with Medicare, and whether you need a referral. behavior.
Nursing home comparison
Whether you’re planning ahead or have to make an unexpected decision, there’s a lot to think about when choosing the right nursing home for you or someone else. Many family members and caregivers prioritize location so they can check in and visit frequently, but there are other important factors you may want to consider.
Medicare.gov’s comparison tool provides filtering options that allow you to personalize your results by the criteria most important to you, such as visit results, number of beds, staffing data, and more.
You will be able to check the overall “star rating” of the nursing home. The information can serve as a guide to a provider’s track record to help you find a home that best suits the individual’s needs.
Visit Medicare.gov/care-compare to access the tool and find health care providers and services in your area that fit your needs.