Experts urge people close to retirement to get the planning process started early. A 2011 Allsup survey of 64-year-olds found that 44 percent had not yet begun planning for Medicare enrollment. A visit to the corporate human resources department isn't a bad start, but plan to double-check everything you hear either by contacting Medicare direct or by seeking advice from a third party expert adviser.
The Medicare Rights Center's service is free (1-800-333-4114). Free help also is available in every state through the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), a network of non-profit Medicare counseling services (http://bit.ly/L6qfB9).
If you're willing to pay to get advice and help with paperwork, hire an independent, fee-based, counseling service such as Allsup (1-866-521-7655) or Goodcare (866-696-6543).
For more from Mark Miller, see http://link.reuters.com/qyk97s