Celebrating Medicare's 60th birthday gives me an opportunity to talk with my longtime friend and co-author Dr. Mehmet Oz, now the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), about how to better choose and use the different forms of Medicare.

Medicare serves around 69 million Americans; 90% are over age 65 and the remaining are people with a disability, end-stage renal disease, or ALS.

Overall, about half of the participants are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the rest in original Medicare.

Determining which works for you depends in part on your budget and your ability to maintain supplemental coverage to fill in for what Medicare doesn't pay. Medicare Advantage may be your best option.

You also need to consider your geographic location (how far you will have to travel to get to a hospital or see a specialist) and identify your short- and long-term health concerns, as well as finding out which of your doctors and hospitals participate in each program.

Last but not least, you want to determine if you need or want wellness coverage for vision, dental, hearing, etc.

If that sounds like a lot to sift through, you're not alone in the journey.

"Whatever your situation," says Dr. Oz, "CMS is committed to creating a healthcare system that focuses on prevention and fosters wellness and chronic disease management."

For guidance on how to choose and use Medicare, check out "What Is Original Medicare?" at aarp.com and "Compare Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage" at Medicare.gov.