Medicare, the federal health-insurance program that covers about 173,000 Rhode Islanders, has published the 2007 version of its handy guidebook “Medicare & You.”
So if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, or you have a loved one who’s covered, be on the lookout — the guide should be arriving in mailboxes within the next week to 10 days. (All the guides should be received by Nov. 1, Yeh said during a visit to Providence yesterday.)
(With a fee-for-service plan, you generally may use any Medicare-approved doctor or hospital that accepts the plan. The plan itself — not Medicare — decides how much it will pay and how much you’ll pay for the services you get. These plans may not include prescription drug coverage.)
Still, you may want to look at what’s available for next year, to see how your plan compares. For example, although the average monthly premium is a bit lower than last year, some plans have raised their prices. Also, some plans have changed their structure: They may be charging a larger deductible, for instance. (If your plan has made changes for the 2007 coverage year, it’s supposed to notify you, in writing, by the end of this month, Pawelec said.)
If you’re not a Medicare beneficiary, you should still obtain information about the program if you think a relative or friend may be eligible, said Dave Layman, who works with Zesk for Medicare Rx network. (The network helps beneficiaries — and their loved ones — understand the Medicare prescription drug program, sometimes called Medicare Part D.)

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