The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently launched Ask Medicare, a new initiative to help family caregivers -- those who are family members or friends who help people with Medicare access and use valuable health care information, services, and resources.

According to a recent report by AARP, more than 44 million Americans (more than one in five adults), provide care valued in economic terms of $350 billion annually, to a loved one, friend, or neighbor.

The new initiative will provide a one-stop Web page for caregivers http://www.medicare.gov/caregivers that provides easy access to useful information about Medicare and other essential resources to help with caregiving. Most caregivers do not think of or identify themselves as caregivers; however, many of the resources available to them use that term.

The Ask Medicare Web site will provide links to key partner organizations that assist caregivers and beneficiaries, and present personal stories from caregivers in the community. Support information and tools to help caregivers address common problems will also be available. As part of the initiative, CMS will launch an e-newsletter for caregivers that will deliver information into the subscribers’ e-mail boxes.

For more information about Medicare’s new caregiver initiative, please visit http://www.medicare.gov/caregivers .

To read the CMS press release issued on September 18, 2008, click here http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp .