Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces website redesign

[okarol]

A redesign of the medicare.gov website is now complete, making content more accessible and easier for beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to understand.  Today’s redesign, announced by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, supports CMS’s commitment to provide better customer service.
The new site will allow most users to find the content they’re looking for directly from the home page.  These features include:
 
A search for whether a specific test, item, or service is covered under original Medicare;
The ability to get customized information based on a beneficiary’s specific situation;
Quick links to replace a lost Medicare card, find a Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan, and get help with health care costs.
 
To see examples of these new features, please visit:
http://www.cms.gov/apps/files/Medicare-gov-LB.pdf.
 
“We did a lot of research into what sort of information beneficiaries and their caregivers really wanted most at their fingertips, and I think users will find this redesign very helpful,” said Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.  “We’ve simplified the language and the homepage layout to make it easier and faster for visitors to get answers and a better understanding of Medicare necessary to get more control over their health care.”
 
The new design responds to mobile devices, like tablets and smartphones. Users can get information such as coverage and cost details, anytime, anywhere, and in the most convenient format. Medicare beneficiaries, counselors, and caregivers can check if a letter they received in the mail is an official communication from Medicare by viewing descriptions of Medicare mailings. The popular “Medicare & You” handbook now has its own landing page for an easy access complement to the annual print mailing.
 
This new website design is the result of more than two years of research, design, and development work by CMS.  Using various mechanisms, such as call center questions, website analytics and online survey results, CMS found out what users want, including finding out what Medicare covers, cost and coordination of benefits information, and finding Medicare drug and health plans.
 
Comprehensive and thorough user testing with consumers ensured that the new site is successfully meeting the needs of its primary consumer audience.