Small Increase for 2010 Part D Premiums
The federal agency that manages Medicare said most beneficiaries would see a small increase in their drug-plan premiums in 2010. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the average monthly...
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Health Care Reform Law and Part D
March 2010: All the delays in passing the health care reform bill will also delay positive changes to Part D coverage. Seniors were supposed to get relief this year, but it appears that people who fall...
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2011 Part D Enrollment: Winners and Losers
Medicare beneficiaries can change their Part D drug plan (PDP) at the end of end of every year. Once they are in a plan, most are “locked in” for the next year, except for certain special circumstances...
View ArticleMedicare Part D and Deficits
I wanted to find the cost to Medicare for Part D, the drug plan for Medicare beneficiaries that went into effect in 2006. I googled “Part D Medicare budget” and got very good information. In 2010,...
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Brand Drug Cost Overwhelms Medicare Part D Budget
In 2008, Medicare spent $68.3 billion dollars on drugs purchased through Part D plans. This is too much money! Seventy-five percent of the $68.3 billion was spent on brand name drugs like Lipitor,...
View ArticleGetting help for Medicare and drug costs
Low-income Medicare beneficiaries get help with their Medicare Part B premium and their prescription drug costs. Income levels that qualify for help have been raised for 2013. Anyone on Medicare with...
View ArticlePart D is kind of complicated.
Yesterday I met with a client who is turning 65 in June. He is a doctor, and this doctor was amazed by how complicated Medicare Part D drug coverage is. As I explained how Part D drug coverage works,...
View ArticlePart D Deductible
Some Part D plans have a deductible and some do not. Part D plans with a deductible tend to have a lower premium than those that do not. Should you choose a Part D plan with a deductible? Most clients’...
View ArticleWho gets help with their Medicare premium and drug costs?
Low-income Medicare beneficiaries get help with their Medicare Part B premium and their prescription drug costs. Income levels that qualify for help have been raised for 2013. Anyone on Medicare with...
View ArticlePart 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...
View ArticleWoman 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?...
View ArticlePart 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%...
View ArticlePicking 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...
View ArticleHelp For Part D Drug Costs in 2014
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...
View ArticleHelp 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...
View ArticlePart 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...
View ArticleMedicare 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...
View ArticlePart 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...
View ArticleInteresting 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...
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