Trumm Drug

Time to review your Medicare Part-D Plan?

Open enrollment for 2008 Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) starts November 15th, 2007 and ends December 31st, 2007. Current enrollees can change plans during this time. Others may enroll at any time. Anyone eligible for subsidies may enroll anytime and switch once a month.

It may benefit current enrollees to switch plans. Prices will be changing and covered medication list will change. There are three types of plans: 52 for drugs only, 79 Medicare Advantage plans for drugs and health coverage, and 20 plans for “dual eligible” covering health and drugs for the poor on Medicare and Medicaid. Only an agent of the insurance company can enroll you. They will tell you about their plans, but of course not about the competitors. The only way to compare the plans is to use Medicare’s online plan-comparison tool at http://www.medicare.gov. You can do it yourself or call a counselor at 1-800-633-4227 to do it for you 24 hours a day. Minnesota Linkage Line counselors can also help my calling 1-800-333-2438, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Their website is http://www.mnaging.org/advisor/medicare/rxconnect.htm .We think it is a good idea to include Community CCRx plans in your comparison. They partner with local pharmacists to provide a national plan that does not require mail order to provide you with a 90 day supply. People new to Community CCRx plans can sit down with their own pharmacist to review medications and possibly save money. You can learn more or enroll in Community CCRx by calling 1-866-684-5353 or visiting their website http://www.communitycarerx.com .

A 2008 “typical” plan requires enrollees to pay the first $275 in annual costs, then 25% of drug costs until the total paid by the recipient AND the plan hits $2,510. Then the recipient pays ALL costs until the total hits $5,726 – a gap often called the “doughnut hole.” After that, the recipient pays 5 percent of drug costs. Plan costs and coverage vary. Some have no deductable, and some offer coverage in the doughnut hole. For drug only PDP plans, monthly premiums range from $13.90 to $99. The average is $41.25, up 12 percent. For Medicare Advantage Plans, Monthly premiums will range from $0 to $271 and average $68.47, down from $88.45. To see if you may be eligible for low-income subsidies contact the Minnesota Linkage Line: 1-800-333-2433. A good online guide for helping you chose the best plan for you is available at http://www.healthdecisions.org/guide

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