Pre-Medicare Part D, the cost of prescription drugs caused many people to either skip doses or stop filing for their prescriptions altogether.

Medicare’s Prescription Drug Program (Part D)

What is it?

This is an important topic that may very well affect you, me, and our families.

A quick history: Back in 2006, our government put into effect a program called Medicare Part D which “allows seniors and the disabled enrolled in Medicare to join a private drug plan that is approved and subsidized  by the federal government.”

Is it good?

The reason Medicare Part D has been hailed as a success by many is due to the fact that pre-Medicare Part D only “two thirds of beneficiaries had drug coverage” (Study: Kaiser Family Foundation) and the cost of prescription drugs caused many people to either skip doses or stop filing for their prescriptions all together.  Currently, with the advent of Medicare Part D, roughly 27 million people who are enrolled in Medicare have drug coverage – that’s 27 million people who didn’t have drug coverage previously, due to circumstances beyond their control…that’s huge news! 

How do I apply?

You can get application information at Medicare's website, at medicare.gov. Many people prefer to click here to use the Prescription Plan Comparison Tool for Medicare Part-D. This free tool compares the various available plans and finds the one that saves you the most money.

When do I apply?

The enrollment period runs from November 15 till December 31 each year. Don’t miss the enrollment period – you could lose out on a lot of money.

What’s the downside?

Though Medicare Part D is a vast improvement on a system which clearly wasn’t working, it isn’t without its imperfections.  There are still some 4.5 million people without drug coverage due to either a belief in their own good health or lack of knowledge regarding the program.  Also, monthly premiums keep rising per year since Medicare Part D took effect and some people find choosing a Medicare plan confusing and difficult. Though these “cons” are present, the point is, Medicare Part D seems to be working and benefiting Americans across the country. 

What do I need to do?

You need to choose the best Medicare Part D program for you. This is a very personal decision, because it largely depends on the combination of your medications, your health and your location.  A program that seems expensive at first glance could save you a bundle over the course of the year.

To help find the best program for you, DestinationRx has designed a comparison tool open to the general public via the internet. The tool compares the different policies for which a person is eligible. You enter your location and the medications you are concerned about. It finds the policies that would work for you and how much it would typically cost you for all your medications with that policy over the course of a year.

The service is free and is called the DestinationRx Medicare Plan Comparison Tool. You can access it by clicking here, or from the TO DO option at the top of any page on this site.

It’s certainly very helpful and totally worth visiting.

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More Information:

Click here for free access to The DestinationRx Medicare Comparison Tool.

Source:

DestinationRx

Week of November 18

Reviewed by
Dr. Boaz Ancselovic, MD, Geriatrician, Alzheimer's Weekly.
By Peter Berger, Alzheimer's Weekly.
COPYRIGHT © 2009 Alzheimer's Weekly LLC.
All Rights Reserved.