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Tips on Assessing Your
Clients Individual Needs
What to Consider When Choosing a Plan
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Click
here for a brochure that helps answer questions about choosing
a plan
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While Medicare prescription drug coverage is now available for all people
with Medicare, it’s important for people to understand that coverage
is not automatic and not all plans offer the same benefits. Participants
must take action and enroll in a plan that meets their individual needs.
Everyone with Medicare should consider the following questions:
- Do I have information about all the plans offered in my state?
- Before you can judge the plans, you need to know about all the
plans offered in your state.
- Last October, the government sent out the Medicare & You
2006 handbook. It lists the plans offered in your state.
- If you do not have this handbook by now, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. You can also visit www.medicare.gov
on the Web.
- What are my up-front costs for each plan?
- When choosing a Medicare prescription drug plan, you should know
how much your up-front costs will be.
- Up-front costs may include a premium each month and a yearly
deductible.
- You may see that plans charge different amounts for the monthly
premium and the yearly deductible.
- Keep in mind that the best plan for you may not be the one
with the lowest up-front costs.
- Does the plan cover the drugs I need now and the drugs I may
need in the future?
- It’s important to find out if the drugs you care about are
covered by each plan in your state.
- Make a list of the drugs you are on now or may need in the future.
- Check with each plan to see if it covers the drugs you’re
taking now.
- Are there any extra steps required by the plan to get my drugs?
- Be sure to ask each plan how easy it is to get the drugs your doctor
prescribes.
- You, your doctor or your pharmacist may need to take extra steps
before some prescriptions can be filled.
- Examples of extra steps include step
therapy and prior authorization.
- How much do I pay for each drug?
- Contact the plan or Medicare to find out how much you will pay
for each drug.
- Your share of drug costs may be different from plan to plan and
from drug to drug.
- It’s important to find this out before you choose a Medicare
prescription drug plan.
Answering these questions will help Medicare participants create a
clearer picture of what option is right for them. This brochure, Pick
The Plan That’s Best For You, can help your Medicare
clients answer these important questions. The brochure includes a worksheet
that your clients can use to track their answers and make notes.
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your Medicare clients who are Internet capable, the CMS
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder is an excellent
resource to find and compare prescription drug plans that meet
their personal needs and, when they are ready, to enroll in the
drug plan they select.
Click
here to go to the CMS Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder.
If they don't have access to the internet, the same
information can be obtained by calling 1-800-Medicare and speaking
with a Medicare phone counselor. In either case, your clients
will need a list of the drugs they take, the dosage of each drug
and the pharmacies they normally use.
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