Part 2: Creating MyMedicare.gov Accounts

This is the second of a three-part series describing Medicare’s Initiative to provide access to healthcare data for its beneficiaries thereby giving them greater control over managing their personal health and wellness.

Part 1 recounted the History of Medicare Blue Button from its inception in 2009 to the release of MyMedicare.gov in 2018.

Part 2 explores features of MyMedicare.gov including its Home, Claims, Plans & Coverage, and My Health pages. I’ll show you how to create an “On The Go” Report using the Blue Button Download and preview things to come.

1. Part 2:
Creating a MyMedicare.gov Account

2. A Three Part Series
This is the second of a three-part series describing Medicare’s
Initiative to provide access to healthcare data for its beneficiaries
thereby giving them greater control over managing their personal
health and wellness.

Part 1 recounted the History of Medicare Blue Button from its
inception in 2009 to the release of MyMedicare.gov in 2018.

Part 2 of the series explores features of MyMedicare.gov including
its Home, Claims, Plans & Coverage, and My Health pages. I’ll show
you how to create an “On The Go” Report using the Blue Button
Download and preview things to come.

3. MyMedicare.gov
MyMedicare.gov is a site for enrollees to view and download health
information to share with providers, caregivers, and family
members. But does it go far enough to give them tools necessary to
proactively manage health and wellness?

Since releasing Blue Button 2.0 in early 2018, Original Medicare
beneficiaries can Create an Account then securely log into
MyMedicare.gov to see claims data for the past 36 months, review
Plans & Coverage information, and input important information
about their health such as allergies, immunizations and other
medical history.

4. Creating an Account
To create a MyMedicare Account, simply click
the link below and following 4 easy steps….
https://www.mymedicare.gov/default.aspx?Lang=en-us

5. MyMedicare.gov
The site is organized into tabs that include Home, Claims, Plans &
Coverage, and My Health pages
Each page includes a Blue Button to download
and print personal health information,
links with everything from publications and
podcasts,
and information about reporting Medicare
fraud

6. The Home Page
From the Home page, you can search claims for the past 6, 12, 24 or
36 months. Claims Information includes contact information for the
Provider and summary of the Amount Charged and Approved.

7. The Home Page
Also from the Home page, you can create a list of Favorite Providers
including primary care physicians, specialists, and preferred
hospitals.

8. The Home Page
But the one I find most useful is a list of Preventive Services. These
are proactive or wellness services you are eligible for like
cardiovascular and diabetes screenings with a two-year calendar
highlighting eligibility dates.

In most cases, Medicare waives the copay and deductible for these
preventive services so be sure to discuss with your primary care
physician. Click on the link below to learn more about Preventive
Services.
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-screening-services

9. The Claims Page
Nice thing about having all your Claims data in one place is it replaces paper
Explanation of Benefit (EOB) forms and neatly organizes them in one
location. Data can be sorted to help review claims history and shared with
providers. Claims Data includes Provider, Amounts Charged and Approved.
By clicking on the Claim Number, you’re presented with details including
Processing Date, Procedure Codes and Descriptions.
JOHN SMITH MD

10. Plans & Coverage Page
Plans & Coverage page lists:
§ Original Medicare, Drug, and Supplemental Plan Details
§ Star Ratings to make informed decisions during Open Enrollment
§ A Plan Finder link to Plans in your area
§ Compare Plans by several criteria
§ Evaluate & Choose Plans by monthly premiums, deductibles and
copays, and Star Ratings
“This feature is especially useful during the Open Enrollment period”

11. Plans & Coverage
Click on your plan
to learn about
monthly
premiums,
deductibles, Star
Ratings and more

12. Plans & Coverage
Compare up to
3 plans at once
by any number
of criteria

13. My Health Page
§ The My Health Summary page lets you enter and track important
information about your current health
§ Input useful facts like allergies, drugs, immunizations, vitals, lab
results, and emergency contact information
§ Information is valuable when visiting with a your primary, seeing
a specialist for the first time, or making that unexpected
emergency room visit
“MyMedicare.gov is a great first step in taking control and
managing your health”

14. My Health Page

15. My Health Page
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-screening-services
My Health page also lists Preventive Services you’re eligible
for so follow the link below for additional information.

16. “On the Go Report”
§ MyMedicare.gov is not mobile so you
cannot take it with you. It’s only
accessible from a browser
§ Saving and sharing reports electronically
may not be secure without the necessary
protective measure in place
§ You can access MyMedicare.gov from a
smartphone but “WYSIWYG” and not easy
to read
Create an “On the Go Report” and print a copy to share with
providers, caregivers and family members………

17. “On the Go Report”
Select the type
of information
you’re
interested and
press Blue
Button
Download

18. “On the Go Report”
Print an “On The
Go Report” and
share as needed

19. Preview of Things to Come
CMS did not intend MyMedicare.gov or Blue Button 2.0 to be
anything more than what it is today and encouraging developers to
create applications to give beneficiaries a better experience.

In Part 3 of this series, I will explore features and function that I, as a
Medicare beneficiary and health care advocate, would like to see.

A preview include:
§ Actionable Data
§ Calendar with Appointment Reminders
§ Preventive Services Alerts
§ Interoperability
§ Direct Messaging

20. Thank You!
George Marmo, BSc, MBA
GM Consulting, LLC
Healthcare Consultant
[phone]
[email protected]
Contact the author for a full text version of this presentation or
live demonstration of MyMedicare.gov