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Woodstock Times - Health | 11/27/2008 |
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Medicare Plan D deadline looms
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by Sigrid Heath
Open enrollment for the Medicare Part D prescription drug program began November 15 and will continue through December 31. More than 450,000 of New York seniors who are eligible for the program remain unenrolled. That's a large number of Medicare beneficiaries who are without prescription drug coverage and don't have to be. Are you among them?
Medicare is our largest health insurance program covering about 40 million people. It works pretty well (many consider it a good model for delivery of universal health care). You're eligible if you're 65 or older, under 65 but with a certain level of disability; or have end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant). If you are unclear about whether or not you're eligible for Medicare, visit http://www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility/. They have a useful tool that will tell you the date of your eligibility and when you can enroll.
Everyone enrolled in Medicare, regardless of income, health status, or what prescription drugs you're prescribed, can get prescription drug coverage through Medicare Part D. If you aren't already enrolled in Medicare D, do it now - December 31 will be here faster than any of us is ready for.
You may sign up for prescription drug coverage when you first become eligible for Medicare (three months before the month you turn 65 until three months after you turn 65). If you get Medicare due to a disability, you can join from three months before to three months after your 25th month of cash disability payments. (If you don't sign up when you are first eligible, you may have to pay a penalty.)
Medicare recipients who sign up for Plan D receive prescription drug coverage under any one of a variety of available plans. A recent survey showed that nine out ten enrollees in Part D are satisfied with their coverage (63 percent reported being very satisfied) but if you are not pleased, this is also an opportunity to review your options and make a change. What might have been suitable last year might not fit your current situation.
There are a plethora of plans available to eligible Medicare recipients in Ulster and Dutchess counties. The official Medicare website, http://www.medicare.gov, has detailed information on them all. Click on "Medicare Prescription Drug Plans - 2009 Plan Data," then using the navigation on the left, choose "Find and Compare Plans," enter your county and click on the plan about which you'd like to read more.
Some plans carry a monthly premium, some have a deductible. If you have limited income and resources, you probably qualify for extra help that will result in Medicare covering all or almost all of your prescription drug costs. To find out more about this, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit www.socialsecurity.gov.
If you don't have access to the Internet or would prefer to speak with a living human being about Medicare coverage and prescription drug coverage, call the Ulster County Office for the Aging at 340-3456. If you are looking for help with Plan D specifically, ask for an appointment to discuss your Medicare prescription drug coverage plan. Kari Hastings, Medicare coordinator for Ulster County, says the ten volunteers are now taking appointments for mid-December, so don't delay. People will be asked to bring their Medicare cards and a list of the prescription drugs they're on. Hastings said hours will be extended as the deadline nears, but it takes about an hour to negotiate the different plans and find one suitable for the individual. A couple should plan for more than an hour.
If you live in Dutchess County, call the Office for the Aging (director, Nina Lynch) at 486-2555. The Dutchess County Office for the Aging periodically offers a workshop with information on Medicare enrollment and related issues. You can register for the next workshop or make an appointment to discuss enrollment at the same number, 486-2555. ++
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