Posted: Friday, November 30, 2007 12:00 am
The final month of the year can be a busy time. There can be a lot to remember. Those who rely on the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan have an additional task to finish by the end of the year.
The annual Medicare Part D election period runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31 every year. New coverage begins Jan. 1
This annual election period is the time when beneficiaries can:
- Change prescription drug plans
- Enroll in a prescription drug plan for the first time
- Drop Medicare drug coverage
- Enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan
- Change Medicare Advantage Plan
- Disenroll from a Medicare Advantage Plan
- Keep your current coverage
Family and friends should also tag this time of year as a time to check with their loves ones who are Medicare beneficiaries to make sure they are on top of things.
For some, it's no easy task.
While visiting Waterloo in June, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, had harsh criticism for the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. She said if it weren't for her and her sister, her parents would vastly overpay for prescription drugs because they can't make decisions independently for health reasons.
"It's entirely too complex and too punitive," she said. "If my parents are stymied by this stuff, and they are, each month they delay (in choosing a plan) would cost them more money, and not more money just on the front end, more money for the rest of their lives."
There are 52 stand-alone prescription drug plans and 39 Medicare Advantage plans offered in Black Hawk County for 2008.
Senior health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselors can help seniors compare plans, so long as the plan enrollees remember to contact them. Medicare enrollees can call Allen Hospital's Golden Care at 235-3590 or Covenant Medical Center/RSVP at 272-2250 for an appointment with a SHIIP counselor.
While these counselors cannot recommend or select a Part D plan, they can and will provide information to help enrollees with decisions. All services are free and confidential.
People also can compare plans and enroll themselves at www.Medicare.gov or 1-800-Medicare.
Each year, plans change their premiums and formularies, so it is essential that those depending on Medicare keep abreast of all changes.
Across the country, all too often, many older adults end up going without care or paying thousands of dollars for services they could have received at little or no cost. Those of advanced age or those with disabilities could have trouble getting the health care they need, simply because it is too difficult to find clear answers.
If those hardships pertain to someone you know, a quick check to make sure they are getting their answers could help avert a troubled 2008.