• If you have very few assets other than your home and a low income, determine if you're eligible for Medicaid or expanded Medicare coverage for prescription drugs. Also, see if you qualify for financial assistance from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
• Arrange for your access to medical treatment, after familiarizing yourself with Medicare's rules as well as those of your Medicare Managed Care- or Medigap insurance plan.
• If you're a veteran, see if you can claim financial or medical benefits from the VA.

If you're partially or totally disabled because of a physical or mental condition, you'll need to:

• Look into whether you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
• Determine if you qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if you have very few assets and a low income.
• If you're a veteran and your physical condition is in any way related to your service time, determine if you qualify for veterans' disability benefits and medical care.

If you're a surviving spouse or former spouse of a worker who's of retirement age, you'll need to:

• Learn whether you're eligible for Social Security or civil service survivors and dependents benefits.
• Obtain an estimate of your own retirement benefits, and compare them to estimates of survivors or dependents benefits.
• Investigate the pension plan rules of any company or government entity at which your spouse was employed for more than three years.
• If you or your spouse is a veteran, check into whether you're entitled to any veteran's benefits.