About GPhA

Older Americans face complex choices when it comes to paying for medications. Medicare Part D — the prescription drug benefit — is complicated. The opportunity to change drug plans arises every year, and it’s wise to be prepared in advance to consider your options.

Premium costs, co-pays or other charges you must pay, benefits, and drugs covered change every year. Meanwhile, you may be taking a different set of medications this year, and you’ll want to make sure that as many as possible of your current set of medications is covered. You'll also want to make sure that pharmacies in your geographic area are part of the plan's network. It will increase your costs if you use a pharmacy outside the network.

Under some Part D plans, your costs also may increase substantially if you use brand-name drugs instead of equally safe and effective generic drugs. If you are in such a plan, you can save substantial amounts by asking for generics.

About a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the private-plan alternative to regular fee-for-service Medicare. Most of these private plans are health maintenance organizations, and most beneficiaries have a choice of six or more of these plans. Typically, Medicare Advantage plans offer some drug benefit or access to Medicare Part D. Again, you should look at the drug coverage offered carefully, to make sure it meets your needs.

Several online tools can help you figure out which Part D drug plan may be best for you.

Helpful Tools

Benefits CheckUp
Tool from the National Council on Aging that helps you find out about programs that can save you money on prescription drug and health care. You also can find out if you qualify for Medicare Rx Extra Help, and apply for it online.
http://www.benefitscheckup.org/

Quick Route Through the Medicare Drug Plan Finder 2009
An AARP guide to quickly finding the least expensive Medicare Part D drug plan that covers your prescriptions
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/medicare/articles/this_is_a_headline...

Help with Prescription Drug Costs
Online application from the Social Security Administration’s program for help with Medicare drug costs
http://www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp/

Find out More

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage: Parts I through IV
Comprehensive information from AARP
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/medicare/articles/how_medicare_part_...

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage: Your Questions Answered
From AARP
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/medicare/articles/medicare_prescript...