Rainsville Pharmacy News

Rainsville Drugs is Offering Assistance With Medicare Part D Plans!

We at Rainsville Drugs are happy to assist our patients with the difficult choices associated with choosing or changing your medicare plan that helps pay for your prescription drug costs. Each year plans change what they cost and what they cover. Open enrollment started on November 15th 2010 and will continue until December 30th 2010. During this enrollment period, People with Medicare can add, drop or change their prescription drug coverage. Do not hesitate to contact Rainsville Drugs if we may assist you with any questions that you may have concerning Medicare Part D plans.

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D)

Medicare offers prescription drug coverage to everyone with Medicare. Even if you don’t take a lot of prescriptions now, you should still consider joining a Medicare drug plan. To get Medicare prescription drug coverage, you must join a plan run by an insurance company or other private compave approved by Medicare. Each plan can vary in cost and drugs covered. If you decide not to join a Medicare drug plan when you’re first eligible, and you don’t have other credible prescription drug coverage, you will likely pay a late enrollment penalty.

Two types of plans offer Medicare prescription drug coverage:

1. Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. These plans (sometimes called "PDPs") add drug coverage to Original Medicare, some Medicare Cost Plans, some Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) Plans, and Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) Plans.
2. Medicare Advantage Plans (like an HMO or PPO) are other Medicare health plans that offer Medicare prescription drug coverage. You get all of your Part A and Part B coverage, and prescription drug coverage (Part D), through these plans. Medicare Advantage Plans with prescription drug coverage are sometimes called "MA-PDs."

Who Can Get Medicare Drug Coverage?

To join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, you must have Medicare Part A or Part B. To join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must have Part A and Part B. You must also live in the service area of the Medicare drug plan you want to join.

If you have employer or union coverage, call your benefits administrator before you make any changes, to before you sign up for any other coverage. If you drop your employer or union coverage, you may not be able to get it back. You also may not be able to drop your employer or union drug coverage without also dropping your employer or union health (doctor and hospital) coverage. If you drop coverage for yourself, you may also have to drop coverage for your spouse and dependants.

How Do You Join?

Once you choose a Medicare drug plan, you may be able to join by completing a paper application, calling the plan, or enrolling on the plan’s Web site or on www.medicare.gov. You can also enroll by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. When you join a Medicare drug plan, you will have to provide your Medicare number and the date your Part A and/or Part B coverage started. This information is on your Medicare card. Note: Medicare drug plans aren’t allowed to call you to enroll you in a plan. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to report a plan that does this.