ORGANIZATIONS

American Association for Retired Persons (AARP)
601 E. Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20049
(800) 424-2277 | (202) 434-2260
http://www.aarp.org/health/insurance/
The insurance section of the AARP website provides invaluable information, referral agencies and an extensive glossary of terms regarding Medicare coverage.

American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI)
1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-2599
(800) 589-2254
Gives tips on buying insurance products online and answers commonly asked questions regarding life insurers and the Internet. Explains the best way to shop for long-term care insurance.

Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc.
P.O. Box 350, Willimantic, CT 06226
(860) 456-7790
The Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization which provides education, advocacy, and legal assistance to help elders and people with disabilities obtain necessary healthcare. Provides a summary of Medicare benefits and current rate information.

Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)
7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244, USA
(800) MEDICARE (800) 633-4227) | (410) 786-3000
http://www.medicare.gov/
The HCFA is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HCFA runs the Medicare and Medicaid programs — two national health care programs that benefit about 75 million Americans. The website allows visitors to search for information on health plans, nursing homes, Medigap policies, contacts, and Medicare activities in their area.

America’s Health Insurance Plans
601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
South Building, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20004
http://www.ahip.org/
Provides various insurance guides for consumers and a state-by-state directory to insurance bureaus.

Independent Insurance Agents of America, Inc. (IIAA)
127 South Peyton Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
(800) 221-7917 | (703) 683-4422
http://www.iiaa.org/
The IIAA is committed to providing consumers with the most up-to-date information about trends in the insurance industry as well as independent advice about shopping for insurance. IIAA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents and agency employees nationwide.
Discusses what to look for when selecting an agent.

Insurance Information Institute (III)
110 William Street, New York, NY 10038
(212) 669-9200
http://www.iii.org
Founded in 1960, the III is recognized by the media, governments, regulatory organizations, universities and the public as a primary source of information, analysis and referral concerning insurance. The III also answers nearly 50,000 questions through the National Insurance Consumer Helpline, a toll free telephone service. Their site provides links to various state insurance departments.

Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE)
2175 K Street, NW, Suite 250, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 464-5000
http://www.life-line.org/
The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) is a non-profit organization designed to address the public's growing need for information and education on life, health, and disability insurance. On-line information is provided on a variety of insurance topics and extensive glossaries are available.

Medicare Rights Center (MRC)
1460 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10036
(212) 869-3850
http://www.medicarerights.org/Index.html
MRC is a national, not-for-profit organization that helps ensure that older adults and people with disabilities get good affordable health care. MRC works to teach people with Medicare and those who counsel them--healthcare providers, social service workers, family members, and others--about Medicare benefits and rights. Provides easy-to-understand information on various Medicare benefits and how to solve problems.

National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)
1201 "L" Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 842.4444
http://www.ncal.org/index.html
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) is the assisted living voice of the American Health Care Assn. (AHCA), the nation's largest organization representing long term care providers. The "Consumer Information" section of their website provides extensive information about Long Term Care insurance including costs and how to select a good policy.

United Seniors Health Cooperative (USHC)
409 Third Street, SW, Second Floor
Washington, D.C. 20024
(202) 479-6973
http://www.unitedseniorshealth.org/
USHC helps older adults achieve health, independence and financial security through a wide range of programs and services. They have developed publications on topics of vital concern to older consumers, including managed care, financial planning, home care, long-term insurance, Medicare and Medigap insurance.

HOTLINES AND TOLL FREE NUMBERS

Insurance Information Institute (III)
110 William Street, New York, NY 10038
(800) 942-4242
Insurance experts can give information about auto, home, business or life insurance problems. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., ET
Monday - Friday.

Medicare Rights Center (MRC)
1460 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10036
1-888-HMO-9050
MRC operates a national Medicare HMO Appeals hotline to assist Medicare HMO members who are appealing HMO denials of care or coverage.

National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)
901 N. Stuart St., Suite 1150
Arlington, VA. 22203
(888) 241-7159 | (703) 469-2200
The NICB partners with insurers and law enforcement agencies to facilitate the identification, detection and prosecution of insurance criminals. Provides a hotline at (800) TEL-NICB (835-6422).

INTERNET SITES AND WEB RESOURCES

A. M. Best - The Insurance Information Source is the world's oldest and most authoritative source of insurance company ratings and information. Its Best's Ratings are the industry's standard measure of insurer financial performance and ability to meet ongoing obligations to policyholders. Free registration is required to access ratings.
http://www.ambest.com/

Agenet.com This site provides links to various resources on Medicare and other insurance programs. It also offers information on long term care insurance, nursing homes and other health care choices.
http://www.agenet.com

The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud's website provides consumer tips on how to avoid being victimized by insurance fraud. http://www.insurancefraud.org/

HealthInsuranceInfo.Net provided by Georgetown University Institute for Health Care Research and Policy has written "A Consumer Guide for Getting and Keeping Health Insurance" for each state and the District of Columbia. The guides can be found at http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net/

Insure.com provides consumers and insurance professionals with the most comprehensive and current insurance information. Insure.com also produces interactive tools to assist users in their insurance decisions. An "Insurance Company Complaint Finder" feature allows visitors to view complaint rankings as compiled by state insurance departments. http://www.insure.com/

SUGGESTED READING

Abromovitz, Les. Long-Term Care Insurance Made Simple. Login Brothers Book Company. 1999. Offers practical advice for consumers on long-term care insurance and how to buy the best one for the money.

Baldwin, Ben G. The Complete Book of Insurance: The Consumer's Guide to Insuring Your Life, Health, Property and Income Probus Pub Co. 1996. In easy-to-understand language, the book explains everything from variable annuities to disability insurance. Shows how to determine the right insurance for consumers of different incomes, age group and family responsibilities.

Brownlie, William. Life Insurance Boot Camp Buyer's Guide. Life Insurance Book Camp. 2000. This buyer's guide provides the information you need to make reasonable, comprehensive financial planning decisions pertaining to life, disability, and long term health care insurance.

Davidson, Cynthia. The Over 50 Insurance Survival Guide : How to Know What You Need, Get What You Want and Avoid Rip-Offs. Silver Lake Publishing. 1995. Takes older consumers through the maze of insurance products and helps them determine what's available and what's advisable.

Enteen, Robert. Health Insurance : How to Get It, Keep It, or Improve What You've Got. Demos Vermande. 1996. Shows how to locate and evaluate coverage, compare costs, and obtain the maximum benefits -- even from your existing insurance plan. Discusses long-term care coverage and Medicare.

Godin, Seth. If You're Clueless About Insurance and Want to Know More. Dearborn Trade. 1997. Outlines how insurance needs change over a lifetime as well as how to take an intelligent, comprehensive approach to insurance.

Inlander, Charles. Medicare Made Easy. Peoples Medical Society. 1999.
This comprehensive guidebook offers the most current information on Medicare, explaining eligibility requirements, coverage, hospital information, long-term care, doctor fees, treatment options, and more.

Knaus, Denise. Medicare Made Simple : A Consumer's Guide to the Medicare Program. Health Information Press. 1996. Presents a basic guide to Medicare. Covers entitlement, enrollment, coverage of services, payment methods, and requirements.

Shelton, Phyllis. Long Term Care Planning Guide. Shelton Marketing Services. 1999. Provides families with a sense of urgency to plan ahead for long-term care and the necessary information to do so. Discusses how long-term care works and why it's needed as an essential part of financial planning.

Silver Lake Editors. How to Insure Your Income : A Step by Step Guide to Buying the Coverage You Need at Prices You Can Afford (How to Insure...Series) Silver Lake Publishing. 1997. Tells consumers what they need to know about disability insurance--the least known yet most often needed coverage.