TIPS

most recent last

1. Surviving With Medicare Part "D"

"Be generous. I'm trying to buy my way out of the doughnut hole."  Maxine

5.  If you do not have excessive property or large bank accounts, you should be able to get your Part D subsidized by Social Security. I get about $11,000 per year and my Part D has NO premium NO deductible, NO gap, and the meds run between $! & $5 per month (max) each. Check page 57 in the 2006 Medicare Handbook "Medicare and You" it has a chart that should answer your questions. Good luck. You may be able to get help applying (I did) from RSVP, they're in the phone book.      Cheers,  Lee O.

(You will need Acrobat Reader to open this Medicare publication online. It is free. Click the running person below)

7. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PLAN D, WRITE OR CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND SENATOR. COMPLETE LINKS TO DO THAT CAN BE FOUND AT: LINKS/GOVERNMENT

8. Here is an invaluable site for Seniors who are on Part "D", or buying drugs independently. It is produced by independent  Consumer Reports. It is part of their  "Best Buy Drugs"  website.  Specific to those on Medicare is  their  "Medicare RX"  section.

9. Why are seniors paying nearly twice the price for their prescriptions as veterans, even though the government runs both programs? Because Congress specifically prevented Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors. In a time of record budget deficits, that just doesn’t make sense. Click here to tell Congress to let Medicare get better drug prices for seniors. (Takes you to a Consumers Union/Consumer Reports page)

10. A free booklet is available from the National Pharmaceutical Council explaining prescription benefits, new Medicare beneficiaries, choosing a plan and how to appeal when your drug is not covered. You can order Your Pharmacy Benefit: Make It Work for You. Call 1-888-878-3256 or www.pueblo.gsa.gov

Oct. 1: Insurance companies may start marketing their plans.

Oct. Mid: Medicare releases details of the plans, costs and drugs they cover. In late October it mails each beneficiary the "Medicare and You" handbook, a guide to all Medicare benefits.

Nov. 15-Dec. 31: Medicare beneficiaries may enroll in Part D plans, or switch to new plans. Those already enrolled may keep those plans or switch to different ones. People in a plan that is being discontinued may choose a new plan.

January 1 - March 31 Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage, if you decide you prefer this to a stand-alone Part D program.

HELP, Medicare • 1-800-633-4227 (TTY/TDD 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day. www.medicare.gov

13. See Medicare A B C D Made Simple

14. TO FIND A HEALTH PLAN Your best resource is still the Medicare prescription-drug-plan finder --  -- which lets you enter the names of drugs you take and figure your potential out-of-pocket costs for the plans in your area.

16. What can you do if you are falling into the doughnut hole?

17. This morning SeniorARK came across an October 23, 2006 article on the mixed grades Part D is receiving. In that article we find this statement: "It's a lot of smoke," said Dr. Aaron Snyder, who works for Kaiser Permanente. To him, the government is cleverly concealing the fact that the benefits are relatively modest. To read the full article click: Medicare Plan D gets mixed grades
Rocky Mountain News - Denver,CO,USA

19. Do you think there is profit in the Medicare Part D Extravaganza on the backs of Seniors?  Read this from a late October 2006 Stock value assessment of Part D provider, Humana:

"OVERVIEW: In 2003, the federal government passed legislation allowing seniors to obtain medical coverage through private health insurers under plans ultimately reimbursed by Medicare

Medicare Advantage offers seniors cheaper copays under programs that restrict choices to certain doctors and hospitals."   

                    It may be fully covered.

22. Many seniors know that Medicare covers flu and pneumonia vaccinations but don't realize they have extra benefits that became effective Jan. 1, 2005, Medicare now covers 100 percent of the cost of cholesterol tests every five years and diabetes screening tests up to twice a year. It also will cover 80 percent an annual glaucoma eye screening and a bone mass measurement to check for osteoporosis. Other screenings tests covered by Medicare at 100 or 80 percent include mammography, pap tests, colorectal screening and prostate cancer. The coverage means Medicare benefits can help detect disease earlier, reduce infectious diseases and improve a patient's quality of life.

Many conditions and diseases have no early symptoms. It's much better to try to prevent health problems from developing or growing that treating a disease after it has developed for a while.  These are potentially life saving benefits. We encourage seniors to take advantage of them. Cancer can grow deep within a colon, for example, with no symptoms. Regular testing can reveal colon cancer in earlier more curable stages. Medicare also will cover 80 percent of the medical nutritional therapy for persons with diabetes or kidney disease.

23. If your Medicare Part B coverage begins on or after January 1, 2005, Medicare benefits cover a one-time preventive physical exam within the first six months that you have Part B. The exam will include a thorough review of your health, education and counseling about the preventive services you need, like certain screenings and shots, and referrals for other care. The "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam is a great way to get up-to-date on important screenings and shots and to talk with your doctor about your family history and how to stay healthy. These preventative screenings are an important aspect of senior health and committing to a healthy lifestyle.

24. Premiums are going up on Part D, and there could be changes as to which prescription drugs are covered in your policy.
If a senior decides to change policies or enroll in the program for the first time, Medicare officials urge the action be taken by December 8.
Although the deadline is Dec. 31, applying early will allow enough time for processing for coverage beginning Jan. 1.

Don't assume that everything is exactly the same as in 2006 with your Part D plan. You need to review it for 2007.  And there may be a better plan for your situation. Go to prescription-drug-plan finder for online help from Medicare.

27. November 1, 2006 - In 13 states next year, there will be no drug plans that offer coverage in the so-called "doughnut hole," the drug coverage gap in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, for the top medicines prescribed to seniors, according to a new report issued today. In 2006, there were only four such states, but the number of seniors without access to such doughnut hole coverage will increase from 375,000 to 6.6 million in 2007 - an 18-fold increase.

In the 37 states and the District of Columbia in which plans will continue to offer such doughnut hole coverage, premiums for the lowest-priced Part D plans will increase by 87.4 percent, jumping from a median monthly price of $55.08 in 2006 to $103.20 in 2007 (an increase in annual premiums from $660.96 to $1,238.40).  SeniorJournal.com

Seniors are waiting for your tip here.     Or submit a useful link for a links section.

Click here to read SeniorARK explanation of, and recommendations for Medicare Part "D"