Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions: Get the Most Out of Your Retirement & Medical Benefits,   ISBN:9781413309249

Customer Rating: 

There is a huge amount of information in this book which it seems is a requirement. Social Security might not be too hard toort out,but Medicare / Medicaid looks like a nightmare. Fortunately I have three more years to figure out the right things to do. My advice is to get this book well before you really need it.

Customer Rating: 

This book, for the main, is clear, compact, and well researched. And it lists, highlights, tips and cross references in a most delightful, easy-to-grab manner. Unfortunately for me, the very small and few sections I needed to be clear, were not. My own concerns aside, this is an outstanding reference, and a good place to start.

Customer Rating: 

Bought this book for my husband (the accountant) since we are approaching Social Security age and weren't that familiar with SS benefits or Medicare. He has found this book very helpful in understanding the system. We would recommend.

Customer Rating: 

I picked up the 9th edition when I got ready to retire and it saved me a lot of money and confusion and helped tremendously getting thru all the "red" tape. So a couple of years later as I get ready now to approach Medicare I need all the information I can get so I ordered the new 12 edition. Which included tons of updated information.. A recommend for anyone retiring and/or getting ready to go on Medicare

Customer Rating: 

This book is a very good reference for how these two very important entitlement programs work in as much as the text sticks to that objective. The authors could not resist intermingling a very biased and at times deceptive opinion into the text. The book bashes social security privatization from the point of view that only government can be trusted to handle a person's pension and that private citizens will only be taken advantage of if ever allowed to invest their own money into greedy corporations - what does this have to do with the text's stated purpose. The same approach was taken of Medicare Prescription D which is referred to as a huge corporate giveaway to the pharmaceuticals because the Medicare Administration was not allowed to "negotiate" prices. The latter is quite deceptive as the government does not ever negotiate prices with the private sector; it regulates prices. Can anyone deny that many doctors refuse accepting medicare-only patients because the prices set by Medicare do not reflect market rates for services? Can anyone deny that Medicare has oft times set prices for services based on budgetary constraints as opposed to seeking the best quality service? These authors certainly can. They also bashed Medicare Prescription D while at the same time having to acknowledge it is very successful but only "for the short run" as they say because in the end the profit motivated pharmaceuticals will raise their prices over time at the expense of seniors. This "government is all good and private sector is all bad lingo" is irrelevant to understanding how the programs themselves work as currently defined. Such commentary belongs in another text devoted to socialist propaganda. My objective as a 42-year old is to understand the entitlements to aid my retiring parents as best I can.