Medicare Part D & Prescription Drug Benefits
Some of us take care of our elderly parent(s), some of us help out an elderly neighbor or friend, others are nearing the age when Medicare Part D in New York State for prescription benefits can be useful to our health needs, but only if you have the plan best suited for the individual. The best plan for a person may not be the same plan as one’s spouse has, not the same one a relative has that pays just about all their medications, nor the one that most people have around you. There are hundreds of plans out, the best way to find the one best for an individual is to do the following:
First, prepare a list with the persons full name; social security number; a listing of all medications (use the name on the bottles the prescriptions have come in) the persons takes include the strength, amount used per month; and the zip code of the drug store the person prefers to use.
Second, plan to spend a few hours on the computer the first time you are doing this, after that it will be faster. Go on MEDICARE.GOV. Follow the instructions on the online site using your information list you have already prepared. What this will do is to assist you with finding the best 3 plans out there for that person, giving you a projected cost of what the out-of-pocket expenses for the year the person should incur, provided medications do not change.
Third, mark your calendar, in September of every year that by November every year the plan picked will be looking to be renewed and will be expiring, that does not mean to automatically renew it. Start with the first step and make a new information list and go back to the computer and research the best plan again. Remember, medications may have changed, the plan may have changed and is not the best one or something about the plan you do not like makes it not the best plan. So remember a plan must be picked or renewed by mid-November each year or the person could end up with no prescription covered.
Also, be aware that many local libraries as well as clinics that have social workers on staff offer assistance for finding health insurance and prescription coverage for the elderly, without charging for these services.