title: Opening a dialog: communicating with retirees about Medicare+Choice.
abstract: In October 1998, the Health Care Financing Administration sent information to 38 million Medicare beneficiaries in five pilot states, consisting of a comprehensive handbook entitled Medicare and You. The purpose of the handbook is to clarify new options under Medicare+Choice to participants. Such clarification is bound to initiate contact by Medicare beneficiaries to former employers/unions. This article addresses employers' need to develop a communication strategy for beneficiaries and suggests a methodology and possible questions that may arise.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Maeyer
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Marlowe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D003142:Communication; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics*; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012179:Retirement / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review