I’m writing to tell you about some exciting new resources from Ask Medicare, which was created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Ask Medicare is designed to support and assist caregivers. Ask Medicare offers a wide range of helpful information for the nearly 66 million Americans who provide help to an aging, seriously ill, or disabled family member or friend. Ask Medicare offers tools that helps caregivers and those they care for make informed health decisions.

Our resources include a newly updated Web site at www.medicare.gov/caregivers, which features a new Caregiver Resource Kit that offers tips and tools for organizations with an interest in supporting caregivers. You can access the kit via the site’s “Partners & Professionals” link. The kit offers materials that enable organizations to:

ABC will post more details on the proposed rule next week. However, several provisions stand out upon initial review:

• Share information that helps caregivers deal with issues such as paying for care, finding nursing homes, managing stress, making the most of the Medicare program and much more;
• Pass along videos featuring caregivers who are meeting a wide array of caregiving challenges;
• Provide brochures and other helpful information directly to caregivers, including tip sheets on topics such as managing a chronic illness, preparing for a transition from the hospital to home, planning for the future, additional help paying for care, and understanding the basics of Medicare;
• Develop stories for newsletters, Web sites and other communications that connect with caregivers;
• Share the quarterly Ask Medicare e-newsletter; and,
• Promote awareness of the role of caregivers in helping millions of Americans receive the best quality of care.

I hope you find the kit and the broader array of information useful, and encourage you to write to me if you would like to become a partner in Ask Medicare’s effort to support caregivers nationwide. Please feel free to pass this message along to others.

Sincerely,

Susie Butler, Director
Division of Strategic Partnerships Partner Relations Group
Office of Public Engagement, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services