Where can I find information on Medicare Prescription Plan D?

Question

this is for a research paper for my medical class, any information will be helpful.

Answer 1

If I were writing a research paper I certainly go to these sources:

* www.Medicare.gov--for general information from the folks at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). CMS is under the federal umbrella of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

* The Medicare Rights Center--for excellent information about the peculiarities and nuances of the Part D Medicare Prescription drug benefit and for general information about Medicare. The Medicare Rights Center is an independent group that provides and distributes excellent information about Medicare.

* Your local Area Agency on Aging-- Area Agencies on Aging are a national network funded under the Older Americans Act. These groups are one of the best kept secrets out there for older Americans and their caregivers. Each Area Agency on Aging has staff who are experts about Medicare--and other public benefits --and the Medicare plans available in their local are. Also, these groups aren't "selling anything". As you mover forward in your career, you will definitely want to get to know these professionals who can provide quality one-on-one information to your future patients! They work with a lot of seniors everyday, so they are great resources who probably know the "scoop" on the different plans. If you live in the United States or one of the territories, there is one serving your area. You can call toll-free 1-800-677-1116 to find how to contact the one serving you.

The Older Americans Act authorizes the work of Area Agencies on Aging under the Administration on Aging. The Administration on Aging is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Here's basic information about Medicare Part D that may be helpful to you:

The new Medicare Part D benefit pays for prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries who sign up for it. Medicare Part D is structured like a catastrophic insurance policy--and Medicare beneficiaries need to select the plan based on what prescription drugs they are taking and which of these drugs the plan will pay for. The kinds of drugs that are covered depends on what policy a Medicare beneficiary signs up for. Most Medicare Part D plans will pay for covered drugs up to a specific annual amount. Then the "donut hole" kicks in--this is the gap where the individual has to pay until the "catastrophic" prescription drug coverage kicks in.

Many seniors who are not taking a lot of medications now, don't think Medicare Part D is a good deal for them. Added to this, there are lots of different companies with lots of different kinds of plans--this can make selecting a plan very confusing! And, right now, the companies offering these plans are changing their benefits before the next enrollment period which will begin November 15th and last through December 8th--so, there are lots of seniors and caregivers asking questions about this benefit nnow.

There are lots of folks saying that Part D is "not much help." Every individual senior needs to find out whether this is true for them or not. To answer this depends on several factors, including what kinds of prescription drugs a senior takes, what kind of plan seniors are willing to accept and pay for, and whether the plan they want will pay for the specific prescription drugs needed. The way Part D Medicare is structured is definitely not a "one size fits every senior" deal. Each individual--even husbands and wives--needs to go through the process to determine what plan is going to meet their needs and will be the "best deal,"

After looking at the plans available in their state, seniors may determine that at this time it does not pay to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan. While this may be true, seniors also need to speculate on whether the costs of their medications will escalate in the future. This is because for every month after May 15, 2006 that a Medicare beneficiary opts not to participate in Medicare Part D, the federal government will apply a 1 % (one percent) a month penalty. So, for example, if one was eligible and decided not to enroll in May 2006 and waited until November, this person will pay a five percent higher premium on this benefit for the rest of their life than the person who enrolled in a plan in May 2006.

Specific Part D plan benefits vary from state to state. Seniors who want to get help with this benefit from an Area Agency on Aging or a pharmacy, need to know the name of the drug that they're taking, the dosage required and the pharmacy that they prefer to do business with. In addition to plan cost, all of these are factors should be considered to determine the best plan.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your career and your research paper!

Answer 2

Go to your local pharmacy. They all advertised heavily when the plan came out to come to them and they would explain everything.

Answer 3

Most all of the Pharmacies have info on it . health Depts. should have ,too.