What is a Medicare organizer for families?

A Medicare organizer for families is a structured document — physical or digital — that holds the key Medicare information for a beneficiary in one place: their coverage type, plan names and member IDs, doctors, prescriptions, contacts, legal authority, and key deadlines. It is designed so that any family member or helper can pick it up and understand the person's Medicare situation without making multiple calls. The Clearing's organizer is a free 7-document kit that covers the full range of information a helper needs.

Can I talk to Medicare on behalf of a family member?

Not without authorization. Medicare requires a signed CMS-10106 form (Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information) before it will speak with anyone other than the beneficiary. Each plan also requires its own separate authorization form. A financial Power of Attorney does not automatically authorize you to talk to Medicare or a plan — those require separate forms filed directly with Medicare and with each plan.

What is the Medicare number (MBI) and where do I find it?

The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) is the 11-character alphanumeric number on the red, white, and blue Medicare card. It replaced the Social Security-based number in 2019. You need it for most Medicare calls, claims, and plan enrollment. Keep it secure — it is as sensitive as a Social Security number. If the card is lost, call 1-800-MEDICARE or log in to Medicare.gov to get a replacement.

What is the Annual Election Period (AEP) and why does it matter for helpers?

The Annual Election Period (AEP) runs October 15 through December 7 each year. During this window, Medicare beneficiaries can switch Medicare Advantage plans, switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare, or change Part D drug plans. Changes take effect January 1 of the following year. For family helpers, this is the most important annual deadline — it is the window to review the person's coverage, check whether their doctors and prescriptions are still covered, and make any needed changes. Missing the AEP usually means waiting until the next year unless a Special Enrollment Period applies.

What is the difference between a Power of Attorney and a Medicare authorization?

A financial Power of Attorney is a legal document that authorizes someone to act on another person's behalf for financial matters. It does NOT automatically give you the right to speak with Medicare or a Medicare plan about someone else's coverage. Medicare requires its own form (CMS-10106), and each plan requires its own separate authorization form. Questions about the scope of a Power of Attorney should go to an elder law attorney, not Medicare.

Why should I keep a call log when dealing with Medicare?

Medicare and plan member services calls frequently result in different answers from different representatives. A written call log — with the date, time, representative's name, reference number, and what was said — creates a record you can reference if you get a contradictory answer later. It is also essential if you need to file a complaint or appeal a decision. Always ask for a reference or case number at the start of every call.

How do I share Medicare information with a sibling or family member who lives in another state?

The simplest approach is to keep a completed Medicare Snapshot — a one-page summary of the person's coverage, doctors, prescriptions, contacts, and legal authority — in a shared cloud folder (Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox) that all helpers can access. The organizer includes a step-by-step digital sharing guide that walks through setting this up in about 10 minutes, with options for Google Drive, iCloud, and email for those who prefer not to use cloud storage.

When should someone start organizing Medicare information?

The best time to start is before the first enrollment decision — ideally at age 62–63, before the Initial Enrollment Period opens at 65. At that point, the Pre-Enrollment Checklist in the organizer helps you understand the structure of Medicare, gather the information you'll need, and make the foundational coverage decision (Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage) before the clock starts. If someone is already enrolled, start now — an incomplete organizer is still more useful than no organizer.

How often should I update the Medicare organizer?

Update it fully every October before the Annual Election Period closes December 7. Do a 15-minute check every quarter to catch new medications, new doctors, or any notices received. Update it immediately whenever a specific event happens — a hospitalization, a new specialist, a plan card replaced, or a medication change. The discipline of updating the organizer at the same time as the event is what keeps it accurate.

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Caregivers & Family · Free Tool · No email required

Family Medicare Organizer

One place to hold everything a family helper needs to know about someone's Medicare: coverage, doctors, prescriptions, contacts, legal authority, key deadlines, a call log, and an appeals tracker. Fill it in on screen, print it, or open the full 7-document interactive kit. Your answers stay in your browser — The Clearing never sees what you type.

Open the full organizer →

What's in the organizer

The organizer is a 7-document system — not a single form. Each document serves a different moment in the helper's job. Use the quick-fill worksheet below for an immediate start, or open the full interactive kit for the complete system.

How to Use This Kit

The HR Role Shift — why Medicare is different from every other insurance decision, and how to use the organizer whether you're pre-enrolled or already enrolled.

Pre-Enrollment Checklist

For ages 60–65. Four phases: understand the structure, gather your information, make the coverage decision, enroll. Routes to SHIP at every step.

The Medicare Snapshot

The core one-page document. Coverage, providers, prescriptions, contacts, legal authority, and deadlines. Updated annually. The handoff document when someone else needs to step in.

Supporting Documents Checklist

What goes in the folder — Medicare card, ANOC, EOC, formulary, MSNs, EOBs, POA documents, and more. Organized by category, checked annually.

Call Log

Date, rep name, reference number, what was said. The record you need when the third person gives you a different answer — and when you need to file a complaint or appeal.

Appeals Tracker

Denial date, appeal level, deadline, outcome. Key federal deadlines pre-printed: 120 days for Original Medicare redetermination, 60 days for Medicare Advantage organization determination.

Digital Sharing Guide

How to share the Snapshot with a sibling or helper in another state — Google Drive, iCloud, or email. Step-by-step, no technical knowledge required.

Open the full 7-document kit →

Free · No email required · Fill on screen, print, or save as PDF · Your answers stay on your device

Get a personalized copy

Your name on every page

Enter your name and email and we'll send you a clean, personalized version of the organizer — your name stamped on every page, watermark removed. Personal use only.

Who this is for

The person approaching 65

Start with the Pre-Enrollment Checklist before the clock starts. Understanding the structure before you enroll is the single most important thing you can do — the coverage decision you make at 65 follows you.

The adult child helping a parent

Fill in the Snapshot together. Share it digitally with siblings. The organizer is the handoff document — the thing that lets someone else step in without three phone calls to you.

The spouse managing coverage for two

Keep one organizer per person. The coverage types, plans, and deadlines are individual — what applies to one person may not apply to the other.

The long-distance helper

The Digital Sharing Guide (Document 7) is built for you. A shared cloud folder with the Snapshot means you can answer most questions without calling anyone.

Quick-fill worksheet

The sections below cover the most frequently needed information. For the complete 7-document system — including the Pre-Enrollment Checklist, Supporting Documents guide, and Digital Sharing instructions — use the full kit above.

Privacy note. What you type into this worksheet stays in your browser. The Clearing does not collect, store, or transmit anything you fill in. If you want to save your progress, use the "Download PDF" button or print the page. Closing the browser tab without downloading will keep the data on your device until you clear browser storage.

Your answers are saved automatically in your browser. Nothing is sent to The Clearing or anyone else.

Saved ✓

Section 1

Coverage snapshot

What kind of Medicare coverage does the person have right now? Fill in the parts that apply.

Item	Details
Full legal name
Date of birth
Medicare number (MBI)
Effective date — Part A
Effective date — Part B
Coverage type	Original Medicare only Original Medicare + Medigap Medicare Advantage Other
Medigap plan letter
Medigap carrier
Medigap monthly premium
Medigap policy number
Medicare Advantage plan name
Medicare Advantage carrier
Medicare Advantage plan ID
Medicare Advantage member ID
Medicare Advantage monthly premium
Part D drug plan name
Part D carrier
Part D member ID
Part D monthly premium
Other coverage (VA, TRICARE, employer/retiree, Medicaid)
IRMAA applies?	Yes No Not sure

Section 2

Care

Who are the regular doctors and care providers? Where is care happening?

Care patterns to note

Section 3

Prescriptions

Every prescription, refilled or PRN. Include dose and pharmacy.

Pharmacy details

Preferred pharmacy

Mail-order pharmacy

Pharmacy phone

Notes (allergies, recent changes, prior authorizations)

Section 4

Contacts

Numbers you may need. Write them down once so you don't search for them again.

Contact	Name / source	Phone	Notes
1-800-MEDICARE
Social Security Administration
State SHIP counselor
Medicare Advantage plan
Part D plan
Medigap carrier
State Department of Insurance
Primary care office
Hospital
Family member 1 (helper)
Family member 2 (helper)
Attorney (if any)
Financial advisor (if any)

Section 5

Authority

What can you actually do on this person's behalf? This is the section that decides what conversations you can have alone and which require the person on the line.

Document or authorization	Status	Where it is	Notes
CMS-10106 (Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information)	Signed and on file with Medicare Not signed
Plan-specific authorization form	Signed and on file Not signed
Durable Power of Attorney (financial)	Yes No Unsure
Healthcare Power of Attorney / Healthcare Proxy	Yes No Unsure
HIPAA Authorization (provider-side)	Yes No Unsure
Representative Payee (Social Security)	Yes No Unsure
Authorized representative for a Medicare appeal	Yes No Unsure

Important: A financial Power of Attorney does NOT automatically give you the right to talk to Medicare or a plan about someone else's coverage. Medicare and each plan require their own authorization form. Questions about scope of authority should go to an attorney, not Medicare.

Section 6

Deadlines and key dates

Item	Date / window	Notes
Medicare birthday / anniversary
Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) end date
Annual Election Period (AEP)	October 15 – December 7 each year
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period	January 1 – March 31 each year
Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) received?	Yes No Not sure
Evidence of Coverage (EOC) received?	Yes No Not sure
Special Enrollment Period (if any) — type and deadline
Open appeal — deadline
Medigap birthday/anniversary rule (if state applies)
Other deadline

Section 7

Active call log

Write down every call. Date, who you spoke to, reference number, what they said. This is how you escape "the third person you talk to gives you a different answer."

Date	Caller	Number called	Person spoken to	Reference #	What they said	Next step

Ask for the rep's name and a reference / case number at the start of every call. If they can't give you one, write down the time of the call and the phone number you called. That's still better than no record.

Section 8

Active appeals tracker

If anything is being appealed — a denied service, a denied drug, a billing dispute — track it here. See Medicare Appeal Timeframes for federal deadlines by stage.

Issue	Coverage type	Stage	Filed on	Next deadline	Status	Reference #
	Original Medicare Medicare Advantage Part D
	Original Medicare Medicare Advantage Part D
	Original Medicare Medicare Advantage Part D

The Clearing does not sell Medicare plans, rank carriers, or earn commissions. This worksheet is for your personal use. It is not legal or financial advice. Verify any specific coverage rules, authorization requirements, or deadlines with Medicare.gov, your state SHIP, or the plan's official documents. Medicare rules and costs change annually — confirm current figures at Medicare.gov. Questions about the scope of a Power of Attorney or other legal authority should go to an attorney, not Medicare.

Provider	Name	Specialty	Phone	In-network? (MA only)
Primary care				Yes No N/A
Specialist 1				Yes No N/A
Specialist 2				Yes No N/A
Specialist 3				Yes No N/A
Mental / behavioral health				Yes No N/A
Dental				Yes No N/A
Vision				Yes No N/A
Hearing				Yes No N/A
Hospital system				Yes No N/A
Home health / hospice				Yes No N/A
DME supplier				Yes No N/A

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Family Medicare Organizer

What's in the organizer

Your name on every page

Who this is for

Quick-fill worksheet

Coverage snapshot

Care

Prescriptions

Contacts

Authority

Deadlines and key dates

Active call log

Active appeals tracker

Browse by topic

What's in the organizer

Your name on every page

Who this is for

Quick-fill worksheet

Coverage snapshot

Care

Prescriptions

Contacts

Authority

Deadlines and key dates

Active call log

Active appeals tracker

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