Medicare Drug Plans | PharmacyChecker Blog

More Chain Stores Pick Up $2 Generic Medicare Drug Plan Option

On December 21, 2010, in Drug Prices, Medicare Drug Plans, by Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

Earlier this month we reported on the UnitedHealthcare Pharmacy Saver plan for Medicare Part D. This plan offers enrollees many of their generic prescriptions for just $2 (some 30- and some 90-day supplies) at Kroger and Safeway chain stores. Our research found that although a few popular generics were not covered by the plan, there was a fairly low co-pay anyway, so cost-wise, UnitedHealthcare has presented a solid Medicare drug plan.

One of our concerns was that those individuals who do not live near a Kroger or Safeway chain will not have easy access to their prescriptions. Well, we have good news to pass on – last week, DrugStoreNews.com announced that Bloom, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Food Lion, Harveys, Publix Super Markets, Sweetbay Supermarket and Target chains have all joined as participating pharmacies.

This expansion is great, though we still encourage you to compare this plan with others on MedicareDrugPlans.com. It’s important to fit all plan variables to your needs. And remember, just ten more days until open enrollment closes!

Pharmacies May Not Be the Right Place to Help Find Medicare Drug Plans

On December 16, 2010, in Medicare Drug Plans, by Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

Many seniors enrolling in a Medicare drug plan these last 15 days of the open enrollment period may turn to their local pharmacy, presumably a trusted source of medical support and information, for answers and advice. Often pharmacists know a patient’s medical and medicinal history so can give professional and educated advice on which plan could best serve the enrollee; however, this isn’t always the case.

An article in American Public Media suggests that the answers and advice some pharmacy’s give could be guided by the influence of insurance companies. Some drugstores have made deals with and will be rewarded by the drug plan company for steering enrollees toward purchasing their specific plan, whether or not the plan is best for the individual. This is not to say that all pharmacies and pharmacists have a conflict of interest when it comes to Medicare drug plans, but we’re confident that research is the best way you can find your best plan. Ask your doctors and loved ones, check out Medicare.gov and MedicareDrugPlans.com – but do so by December 31^st!

Tagged with: American Public Media • Medicare Drug Plans • Medicare.gov • medicaredrugplans.com • Open Enrollment • pharmacies

$2 Generics – UnitedHealth Introduces the Lowest Drug Program Yet

On December 3, 2010, in Drug Prices, Medicare Drug Plans, Saving Money on Prescription Drugs, by Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

Just in time for the 2011 open enrollment period, UnitedHealth Group Inc. has announced that it will allow its AARP MedicareRx and AARP MedicareComplete Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan participants to purchase 30-day supplies of many generic drugs from Kroger and Safeway chain stores for just $2; 90-day supplies may cost just $4. Between these two pharmacy groups, 397 generic drugs are covered in the program, and both chain stores offer the program via mail-order pharmacy (Prescription Solutions) as well.

Simvastatin, the generic for Zocor – a cholesterol lowering drug, and Metoprolol succinate, the generic of the high blood pressure drug Toprol, are just two of many $2 drugs found on the monthly supply list. You can find a 90-day supply of Ibuprofren 400 – 800mg for just $5. To see which other generics are listed, visit the Pharmacy Saver information and search page. (more…)

Tagged with: AARP • generics • Kroger • Medicare Drug Plans • Online Pharmacies • Part D • Safeway • seniors • United States • UnitedHealth • Wal-Mart

Low Premiums Could Mean Low Value When Choosing a Part D Medicare Drug Plan

On November 23, 2010, in Medicare Drug Plans, by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

Many Medicare enrollees shopping for drug plans this open enrollment season may be lured in by the offers with the lowest premiums, when in fact these plans can make for poor choices. What’s most important when choosing a Part D plan is that the drugs you need are covered; and if the plan doesn’t cover your meds, then plain and simple, it is not a good option for you. To find out which plans include the drugs you take, you can use the government’s website, found here: Medicare Plan Finder.

Blindly choosing the plan with the lowest monthly premium means you’re more likely to neglect researching drug coverage and other crucial factors about your Part D drug plan. For instance, if your plan is linked with a preferred drugstore, location could be a problem. This worry is highlighted in a recent AP article, as the Humana/Wal-Mart plan with the lowest premium on the whole Medicare list is causing trouble for some. While the competitive premium prices from Humana and other Part D providers are drawing attention as factors in picking a plan, accessibility, co-pays, deductible and coverage in the doughnut hole must be considered in addition to the most critical factor – the drugs covered on a plan’s formulary. (more…)

Tagged with: accessibility • affordable prescriptions • co-pays • deductible • doughnut hole • Drug Prices • Humana • Medicare • Medicare Drug Plans • medicare plan finder • medicaredrugplans.com • Part D • premiums • save money • seniors • United States • Wal-Mart

2011 Medicare Open Enrollment Starts Today… Now What?

On November 15, 2010, in Medicare Drug Plans, by Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

Open Enrollment is the period between November 15^th and December 31^st each year when Medicare enrollees can sign up for Part D prescription drug coverage, or if they are already enrolled, cancel their current plan, or switch to a different plan. Open enrollment is the time to research, rate and compare the plan options so that you pick the plan that’s best for you. A month and a half means you don’t have to and should not rush to a decision…

The enrollment period can be confusing enough for Medicare members, and this year’s changes that come with the health reform may make sign-up decisions even more complicated. We therefore recommend MedicareDrugPlans.com as a very helpful site that gives you access to honest plan reviews from your peers.

On MedicareDrugPlans.com you can sort plan options by name, company, location, overall rating or individual rating (i.e.: information received from plan, customer service, choice of drugs, cost of plan, and ease of use). There are plan profiles for all plan options offered in 2011 and forums about the drug plans, and related Medicare issues, on which you can ask questions or add your input. This means you can find important information about the plans and what others have experienced using them. You may discover which plans covered all of a member’s drugs without problems or which have great or not-so-great customer service – all from a community of consumers just like you.

Tagged with: affordable prescriptions • forums • health • health reform • Healthcare Reform • Medicare • Medicare Drug Plans • medicaredrugplans.com • Open Enrollment • Part D • ratings • reviews • United States

Will Pharmaceutical Companies Raise Prices to Offset Medicare Part D Discounts?

On October 11, 2010, in Drug Prices, Healthcare Reform, Medicare Drug Plans, by Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

With open enrollment for Medicare Part D just around the corner, 50% discounts on brand name prescriptions while in the coverage gap seems to be a great new benefit this coming year… or is it? Some patient advocate groups, and we at PharmacyChecker.com, are asking, 50% off what price? Will PhRMA offer the discount on a higher-than-normal base price to cover their losses?

As the market, not the government, controls drug prices, it is a possibility that manufacturers will up the prices on drugs, especially specialty medications that lack brand-name alternative or generic competition, in order to make up for the lost profit. A brand name drug that costs $100 per month now – $50 in 2011 for Medicare Part D enrollees – may likely cost $120 next year – or $60 for Medicare enrollees – so that the manufacturers are able to spare revenue loss little by little. (more…)

Tagged with: affordable prescriptions • Drug Prices • health • Healthcare Reform • Medicare • Medicare Drug Plans • Part D • phrma • save money • seniors • United States

For Millions, Shopping Around For Medicare Coverage May Be Necessary To Save Hundreds

On September 27, 2010, in Medicare Drug Plans, Saving Money on Prescription Drugs, by Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

As we previously reported, nearly 3 million seniors will be forced to change their Medicare drug plan this year due to the new health reform law. Now, in addition to the millions who have to, many may voluntarily change plans if their premiums go up, which is likely. A new report from Avalere Health, a private research firm, shows that among the top Medicare plans, premiums are expected raise an average of 10%.

In general, Medicare officials say the average premium should only raise 1%, but on the high end it could be up to 43%! Enrollees of the First Health Part D Premier Plus plan offered by Coventry Health Care will see monthly payments rise from $64 to $91 – that’s over $300 for the year. Another startling change will be for members of the AARP MedicareRX Saver plan, the second most popular among seniors. These enrollees will be switched to the largest plan, AARP MedicareRX Preferred, and will see, on average, a 15% raise in premiums. (more…)

Tagged with: AARP • affordable prescriptions • Avalere Health • compare costs • health reform • Healthcare Reform • Medicare • Medicare Drug Plans • MedicareRX Preferred • MedicareRX Saver plan • Part D • save money • seniors • United States

Healthcare Law Provisions Meant to Simplify Medicare Drug Plan Selection Process May Add Confusion

On September 2, 2010, in Healthcare Reform, Medicare Drug Plans, by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

About three million seniors enrolled in Medicare may have to switch their prescription drug benefit plan next year, says TheHill.com. The changes are due to provisions of the healthcare law that seek to make it easier for people to choose Medicare Part D plans. However, the process of change itself may be messy for many. The purpose is to create fewer plans per region by requiring that plan sponsors drop plans that offer no “meaningful differences” from other plans offered by those same sponsors. Prior to the passage of healthcare legislation, many experts had criticized the number of available plans as too complicated and called for such streamlining.

But critics point out that these changes break the Obama administration’s promise that consumers can keep their current plans. The final changes are yet to be determined, but they are expected to make things easier for first time enrollees and more difficult for customers already participating in the plans.

Unfortunately, some Medicare enrollees discover that their plans do not cover the drugs they need, forcing them to pay out-of-pocket for such products. Comparing prices online at PharmacyChecker.com can help.

To read and write reviews of Medicare drug plans, see our sister site, MedicareDrugPlans.com.

Tagged with: compare prices • drug benefit plan • health • Medicare Drug Plans • medicaredrugplans.com • Part D • pharmacychecker.com • United States

$250 Medicare Drug Rebate Checks, A Small Start

On June 11, 2010, in Healthcare Reform, Medicare Drug Plans, by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com

It has reached mid-June and the first of an estimated 4 million health reform rebate checks will be sent out this week. These checks will go to Medicare enrollees who have already reached the Medicare drug plan coverage gap, known as the “doughnut hole,” and subsequent checks will be mailed out 45 days after other Medicare enrollees hit the hole. According to Medicare.gov, eligible recipients who reach the “doughnut hole” this year will receive this one-time rebate check to offer some immediate relief.

Our previous post noted that compared to the $3,610 gap, $250 doesn’t seem like a lot of money. In fact it is only one-fourteenth of the total cost seniors will have to pay to get out of that hole and back into government subsidized prescription drug territory. This realization is discouraging in itself, but added to the fact that drug companies are boosting their prices higher than ever, seniors are faced with diluted savings that make little to no impact on their financial access to necessary prescription drugs.

The $250 check some seniors will receive this week, and others throughout the year, is welcome relief, but until pharmaceutical manufacturer’s stop taking advantage of consumers in need by jacking drug prices, prescription abandonment, prescription non-adherence, and unavoidable debt, will undoubtedly continue to grow.

Tagged with: Drug Prices • Healthcare Reform • Medicare Drug Plans • pharmaceutical companies • prescription abandonment • seniors

Medicare Scam Alert

On May 6, 2010, in Medicare Drug Plans, by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com

Seniors and others on Medicare have enough trouble affording their prescription drugs and navigating the rough waters of finding the right drug plans. That there are con artists on the loose seeking to extract payments from the unsuspecting senior adds insult to injury. But savvy seniors will not be taken!! Here are the scams to look out for…

Door-to-door salespeople and off-hours calling; agents must have an appointment and cannot call before 8a.m. or after 9p.m.
Agents with invalid licenses. Confirm that they are valid and authorized.
Agents asking for personal information (social security number, bank accounts) before first bill has been received. The Social Security Administration will never contact you over the phone or by e-mail.
Unverified plans; check with 1-800-MEDICARE or www.medicare.gov.
Prizes or rewards in exchange for enrolling.

Source: InjuryBoard.com

You can read and write reviews of Medicare drug plans at www.medicaredrugplans.com.

Tagged with: Medicare • Medicare Drug Plans • seniors

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