A: Part D plans have an opportunity to change the drugs they cover as well as their premiums, deductibles and copay amounts every year. It’s not safe to assume the plan you have this year will work as well for you next year. What happens if one of your expensive brand name medications is dropped from the plan’s formulary?
The time to do a drug plan comparison is during the Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 Medicare Open Enrollment Period. That’s your opportunity to input your medications into Medicare’s official website
www.medicare.gov to see which 2019 drug plan covers your medications at the lowest cost. You’ll be able to take quality ratings, drug restrictions and preferred pharmacy networks into consideration as well.
The 2019 pricing information is now showing on
www.medicare.gov. Enrollment requests submitted Oct. 15 - Dec. 7 will be effective Jan. 1, 2018. Need help with your comparison? Call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 or the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Locate your state SHIP program at
www.shiptacenter.org.