Checking Your Medications
How to Check Your Medications
Here is how you can you find a prescription drug plan that covers all or most of your medications
If you are taking some medications, it takes more effort to find the most fitted plan. All plans have formularies (list of drugs that are covered by the plan). Some plans have preferred pharmacies (pharmacies that give you lower copays). And as mentioned before, the drug tiers can be complicated because every company can categorize the same drug in different tiers. The point is that it takes a special tool to find your plan.
Medicare has this tool. You can go to the Medicare website and enter all your medications. The program will display all plans available in your service area with your approximate out-of-pocket cost. It is a great tool to check your medications. In fact, you want to check your medications every year in October because Medicare companies that offer these plans are allowed to change how they cover medications every year! A plan that is great for you this year, could be the worst for the following year. You can change plans from October 15 until December 7 of each year and the new plan starts January 1 of the following year.
Warning – You should choose your agent (don’t let an agent choose you)!
You can sign-up for a Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage plan directly from the Medicare website. Although, it seems like that is the fastest way to get enrolled, it is not a good idea. When signing online on Medicare.gov, directly with the insurance company (website or by telephone) or with a toll-free TV or Radio commercial telephone number, you won’t have a local agent that would help you in the event that you have problems or questions in the future. Also, choose your agent and don’t let an agent pressure you to sign-up with him or her. If you get pressured, it might be the type of agent that after getting the sale, he or she never give you support. I will suggest checking Medicare.gov to check which plan gives you lower out-of-pocket cost. Then, sign-up with a knowledgeable agent that you can trust will help you when things are not going well with your plan (whoever sign you up, becomes your agent). You don’t pay more or less by using an agent. The agent that signs you for a plan gets paid directly from the insurance company. Your insurance cost is always the same no matter how you obtain the plan. I certainly hope you choose me as your agent! When you are ready, check out my interactive Quote Request Form. (P.S. Pick a local agent and help your local economy!)
Finally, don’t sign up yet for a stand-alone prescription drug plan until you learn about Medicare Advantage plans because you might be able to get Part D at no cost with a Medicare Advantage plan (not available in all areas). In some cases, Medicare will not allow you to change from Medicare Part D (Prescription) to a Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) or vice versa until the next Medicare Plan Annual Enrollment Period.
Here is a direct link of where you check your drugs in Medicare.gov:
If the link doesn’t take you there directly, follow this instruction: got to Medicare.gov and scroll down to the box that says “Find plans.” After that, you can click on “Continue without logging in.” You will need to enter your zip code and answer the questions.
Again, contact me for if you have problems or request a click here and I will check them for you.