How we write our guides

Our guides are for the adult children, spouses and other family members who end up handling a loved one's insurance, bills and mail. We write them in plain English and keep them short enough to read while the letter is still in your hand.

Sources

Every guide is based on official sources, such as Medicare.gov, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission and X12 (which publishes the standard codes used on insurance statements). We list them at the end of each guide.

Keeping them current

Medicare rules, dates and dollar amounts change. Each guide shows the date it was last updated, and we re-check the facts at least once a year and whenever official guidance changes.

What our guides are not

They're general information, not medical, legal, insurance or financial advice. We don't recommend specific insurance plans. Folkswise is an independent service: we aren't affiliated with Medicare or any government agency, and we don't sell insurance. For free one-on-one help with Medicare, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.

Spotted a mistake?

Please tell us. We fix errors quickly and update the date on the guide. You can reach us through the contact details in our privacy policy.