Can you change your Part D plan at this time of year? It depends on a number of factors – and if you have a Medicare Advantage plan vs a stand-alone part D plan.
Category: Part D
Why I hate Medicare Part D
I have written in the past about why I hate Medicare Part D. It is kind of a rip-off for seniors – especially those who take only generics. Yesterday I talked with a man who is paying over $50 per…
Medicare Part D Is Rigged System.
Medicare Part D is rigged. It is rigged to rip off seniors. This being the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, I’m checking my clients’ drug lists and I’m finding so many things I don’t like about Part D drug coverage. How…
Lidocaine Patch and Medicare
The most read article in this blog is about the Lidocaine Patch and Medicare Part D plans. I wrote about this last year when a client called me to complain that she could no longer get the Lidocaine Patch through…
Could Not Afford Her Medicine. Man Kills Wife.
Florida man says he killed his sick wife because he could not afford her medicine. 86-year old William Hager told deputies his 78-year old wife was in pain and he could not afford her medicine – so he shot her while…
Insulin Prices are Skyrocketing
Insulin prices are skyrocketing. I have written about clients of mine who are severe diabetics and are clobbered by the cost of their insulin. Their stories are sad and disturbing.
Part D Preferred Pharmacies
I got a call from a client complaining about how her drug costs have gone way up, even though they are generics. Her co-pays should not change during the year, so I did some research by putting her prescription list into the Medicare.gov Plan Finder.
Lidocaine Patch Not Covered by Part D
Medicare seems to be cracking down on drugs that are prescribed for “off label” usage. I got an email from a client who has been using the Lidocaine Patch for years. Now she’s being told her Part D will no longer pay for the patch.
She Can’t Afford Her Insulin
I got a call yesterday from a woman who takes a lot of insulin to control her diabetes. She said she went to pick up her insulin at the pharmacy and was told her cost would be $340 – which is eight times what it has been.
Medicare and Insulin
Novolin N and R can be bought at Walmart for $24.88 without insurance. With a Medicare Part D plan, the cost is $110. Why?
Enbrel Cost with Part D
I have been talking to two people using the drug Enbrel who were shocked and disappointed to learn how expensive Enbrel will be when they get on Medicare and sign up for Part D drug coverage. ENBREL is a prescription medicine…
High Drug Costs
Medicare is a good deal if you are healthy, but for the unlucky 10-15% who have serious problems, healthcare costs and drug costs can add up quickly. Frank is turning 65 in May and had planned to keep working, but…
Part D mistake
When selecting a Medicare Advantage plan with Part D (drug coverage), it is important to check all of a person’s prescriptions to be sure they are covered by the plan and what the co-pay will be. I thought I had…
Why is Part D so complicated?
Even someone with a masters degree cannot understand Medicare Part D and how to choose the best plan.
Choosing a Part D Plan Is Confusing
For people who turn 65 in the last three months of the year, choosing a Part D plan is confusing. I am looking at Medicare.gov Part D plans and I must compare 2014 plan information with 2015.
How To Get Help with Part D drug costs
People who have limited income can get help with Part D drug costs – but finding the application on the Social Security web site is not easy. There used to be a link for “Extra Help” right on the home page for…
Interesting Part D Study from Kaiser Family Foundation
A comprehensive Kaiser Family Foundation report analyzes key trends that have shaped the Medicare Part D marketplace since the program launched nine years ago. Some of their findings include the following: Part D plan premiums range from $12.80 per month to…
Part D: High Risk Drugs You Should Not Use
A client emailed me last week complaining about her Medicare Advantage plan. She said her doctor gave her a prescription for Zolpidem, a sleeping pill, and her Medicare Advantage plan said they won’t pay for it.
Medicare Part D: Are you paying too much for your drug plan?
Most seniors are in the wrong Part D plan. I saw a study last year that found only 5.2% of seniors chose the most economical Part D plan available to them. Yesterday, I met a person who is a good…
Medicare Part D: Cost of the Shingles Vaccine
An article in the New York Times says that people who get Shingles are more likely to have a stroke. There is also the risk of vision damage if a person gets Shingles near their eyes. And a severe case of…
Help For Part D Drug Costs
Help for Part D drug costs is a different program from the Medicare Savings Program that helps people with Medicare costs. Help for drug costs can be applied for at SSA.gov, while the Medicare Savings Program must be applied for through a state Medicaid office or website.
How to Choose a Medicare Part D Plan
People who take only a few generic drugs will probably choose the lowest-cost Part D plan. But people who take brand drugs, especially expensive ones, need to do some research using the Medicare.gov Plan Finder.
Part D Late-Enrollment Penalty
Part D is voluntary, but a penalty is assessed if a person does not enroll when they first get their Medicare. If a person turns 65 and waits five years to enroll in a Part D plan, she will pay a 50% premium penalty.
Help with Medicare and Drug Costs
FROM CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services): Making ends meet should not mean going without your medications. If you have limited income and resources, Medicare’s “Extra Help” program sets it up so this year you might pay no more…
Woman can’t afford her prescriptions.
Just a few days to go until the end of the Medicare Open Enrollment period and I have a few observations and questions. Why are Part D plans allowed to change drastically from one year to the next? I’ve written…
Part D: Will your premium increase in 2014?
One Part D plan is increasing its premium from $25.90 in 2013 to $53 in 2014. That is outrageous! The plan is First Health Part D Value, and it has been a good deal in 2013 because it has no…