Social Security, Medicare and Pensions: Get the Most Out of Your Retirement and Medical Benefits (6th ed)

November 16, 2008

Social Security, Medicare and Pensions: Get the Most Out of Your Retirement and Medical Benefits (6th ed) Everyone wants to get the most out of their retirement benefits — not to mention the best medical coverage.

Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions clearly explains what the different benefits are, and shows you how to claim what you’ve earned, including:

* Social Security retirement and disability benefits

* Supplemental Security Income

* government penisons & 401(k)s

* Medicare and Medicaid

* new medical insurance options

* dependents and survivor benefits

* veterans benefits

* and more

Completely updated to provide the latest information and changes in benefits, this plain-English book is a must-have for anyone who is retired or about to be.
Customer Review: Adequate & Annoying
The authors’ explanation of the workings of the Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc systems is adequate but is not particularly well written and often lacks clarity. This is certainly not one of NOLO’s best offerings.

Especially annoying was the authors’ frequent and tedious editorializing. I suspect most readers of this book want the facts, not the authors’ socialistic, simplistic opinions.
Customer Review: Significant error in VA section
page 10/7: “E. Medical Treatment….And dependents and survisors of a veteran who has a service connected disabilities, or who receives a veterans pension, are entitled to care in VA facilities if they are unable to afford private care.”

I have been a VA employee for 16 years. The above is WRONG. There IS a pilot program in a handful of VA hospitals allowing dependents to use the VA hospital. Otherwise, this is NOT the case.

…”The VA can also pay for long-term care of an elderly or disabled veteran in a private nursing facility if there is no space in a VA facility.”

This is also not entirely correct. The operative would is CAN. However, the VA is only obligated to pay for the care of veterans who have a certain percentage of Service-Connected Disability. If they pay at all for any others, most VA’s only pay for care for a VERY limited period of time.