The confusion is compounded by the new federal healthcare law, says the survey of 1,500 seniors released by the nonprofit National Council on Aging and UnitedHealthcare. As a result, the survey found, seniors are losing money by failing to sign up for programs that could help them defray their costs.
“Without a solid grasp of the basics of Medicare, older adults are not well-positioned to understand their options and find the coverage that best meets their needs,” council President and CEO Jim Firman said in a statement. “These findings show that Medicare beneficiaries either are not getting the information they need to understand the program or that the information that’s currently available isn’t resonating with them.”
In particular, the survey found, nearly half of respondents reported that they have never shopped around to find the best coverage.
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