Medicare Part D (i.e. drug benefit)

**emily_the_spoiled** · 10-20-2005, 12:56 PM

There is financial assistance available for premiums from Social Security under the following guidlines:
-Income below $14,355/year single and $19,245/year married
-Assets below $11,500 single and $23,000 married
-Contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or www.socialsecurity.gov

People should really be encouraged to sign up for any plan. There is a late-comer penalty if people do not register by May 1, 2006. The penalty is 1% for each month they are not registered. For people who already have drug benefits (i.e. retiree benefits from their company), they should be able to stay with their current plan. But they need to check with their plan adminstrator to make sure the plan is consider equivalent and they will not suffer any penalties.

**momoffuzzyfaces** · 10-20-2005, 01:50 PM

Thanks for the help Cheryl and Debbie!

One thing people who already take medicines need to know, not all of the drug plans will pay for every medicine. You need to check with the plans you are interested in and make sure your drugs are covered. I learned that in a meeting I went to Friday.

Good luck all!

**jazzcat** · 10-20-2005, 02:35 PM

Is there somewhere to obtain the list of drugs that each plan covers without having to call each individual plan provider? That would be the key in my decision.

**momoffuzzyfaces** · 10-20-2005, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by jazzcat

Is there somewhere to obtain the list of drugs that each plan covers without having to call each individual plan provider? That would be the key in my decision.

On www.medicare.gov
there is a place to put in what drugs you are taking and it will bring up the plans that cover those drugs. I think it's under the find a plan section.

**jazzcat** · 10-20-2005, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by momoffuzzyfaces

On www.medicare.gov
there is a place to put in what drugs you are taking and it will bring up the plans that cover those drugs. I think it's under the find a plan section.

I went there and went through all the steps but when it came to part to enter the medications it said "COMING SOON... Medication Entry". Figures. Thanks though, I'll keep checking back.

**momoffuzzyfaces** · 10-21-2005, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by jazzcat

I went there and went through all the steps but when it came to part to enter the medications it said "COMING SOON... Medication Entry". Figures. Thanks though, I'll keep checking back.

Sorry about that! I never tried that way when I was on there. I picked the ones available in my state. Surely they will get it the medications link up soon, they know we need it.