Elderly and disabled people often have very high drug costs. Medicare, the federally-administered health care program, offers Part D prescription drug coverage. Putting in the effort and doing research before signing up for a plan can save a Medicare enrollee hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Instructions
1. Make a list of all the prescriptions you need, how often you take them and at what dose. You will also want a list of the pharmacies you like to use. You will need this information because plans often have limited formularies (lists of drugs they will help pay for) and a limited network of participating pharmacies. When you're picking a plan, you want them to cover your drugs and your pharmacy.
2. Make sure you are allowed to enroll. This means you need to be in a Medicare enrollment period. Those new to Medicare can enroll during their initial enrollment period. Everyone else can sign up during the annual coordinated election period. The annual coordinated election period begins on November 15 and ends on December 31. Part D coverage will begin on January 1.
3. Visit the official Medicare website. It has an online plan finder tool that will help you find plans in your area and will give you the ability to compare prices (see Resources).
4. Start your plan finder search. You have two search options: The "Personalized Search" or the "General Search." You will have to enter your Medicare number and other personal identification information if you use the personalized search, but it will have better access to your information, and your search will be more customized. If you don't want to share any personal information, you can use the general search. Answer the questions that the website asks, and then continue.
5. Enter the drugs you use and the pharmacy you prefer, from the list you made in Step 1. You will do this under the "Get Drug Costs for Available Plans" option. This will further customize the search by eliminating plans that don't cover many of your drugs and showing you a more accurate price. Once you enter all your information, you will get a list of your local plans. You can search through the list and compare plans on this page.
6. Call the plans that are within your price range. You will want to confirm that a plan covers the drugs you take, and you will want to ask if there are any restrictions, such as step therapy or prior authorization, placed on the drugs.
7. Sign up for a plan. You can enroll in the plan over the phone, through the web or by mail. You can also enroll yourself through Medicare.gov or by calling 800-MEDICARE.
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