Especially for senior citizens, maintaining good health has always been an issue, a public problem that needs to be addressed. Not everyone has the access to great healthcare plans nor even has the means to pay for prescriptions. Medicine has always been a crucial part of keeping one’s good health or recuperation. Fortunately, in the U.S. there are healthcare insurance programs like Medicare that offer prescription coverage to help pay for the medicines you need.
People who are 65 and older qualify for the program (as well as younger people who fit into certain categories). Aside from hospital (Medicare Part A) and medical (Medicare Part B) insurance, Medicare offers a Part D program for prescription drug coverage. To get Medicare drug coverage, you must join a Medicare-approved plan that offers drug coverage. This plan includes Medicare drug plans and Medicare Advantage Plans with drug coverage.
How to get the coverage?
Here’s how to get prescription drug coverage after choosing your medicare plan:
- Enroll in the Medicare Plan Finder or on the plan’s website.
- Complete a paper enrollment form.
- Call the plan.
- Call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
When you join a Medicare drug plan, you’ll give your Medicare Number and the date your Part A and/or Part B coverage started. You can find this information on your Medicare card.
What are the costs?
As for the cost, the actual drug coverage costs will vary depending on the following:
- Your prescriptions and whether they’re on your plan’s list of covered drugs.
- What “tier” the drug is in.
- Which drug benefit phase you’re in (like whether you’ve met your deductible, or if you’re in the catastrophic coverage phase).
- Which pharmacy you use (whether it offers preferred or standard cost-sharing, is out of network, or is mail order). Your out-of-pocket drug costs may be less at a preferred pharmacy because it has agreed with your plan to charge less.
- Whether you get Extra Help paying your drug coverage costs.
