Medicare Part D Enrollment Period: How to Find the Best Medicare Part D Plans

The Medicare Part D open enrollment period is the final six weeks of each calendar year. This means the time you can start to choose a new Medicare prescription drug plan is on November 15th and the period will run through December 31st. Any changes you make during this time will go into affect on January 10th of the New Year.

Medicare recommends that you make changes to your plan as soon as possible during the Part D open enrollment cycle to prevent any confusion when the new plans take affect in January. You certainly do not want the pharmacy to have the wrong information when you need a prescription filled in January. Basically, the sooner you get your changes submitted, the less likelihood there will be that confusion will take place.

When it is time to choose a prescription drug plan, you will need to consider a number of factors to find the best Medicare Part D Plan to meet your needs.

The best way to begin your search is to go to the Medicare website (medicare.gov) and click on the "Compare Medicare Prescription Drug Plans" link which is under the "Search Tools" headline or choose the "Compare Drug Plans" link in the "Health and Drug Plans" box at the top of the page (see the graphic below for more details).

After you click the link, you will be taken to a page that will allow you to either view your current plan (if applicable) or "Find and Compare Plans". For this tutorial, we will click the "Find and Compare Plans" button.

The next page will allow you to to a "Personalized Plan Search" or a "General Plan Search". Medicare recommends the personal plan search. This option requires you provide information from your Medicare card and have your current plan information (if applicable). This option will help find the best fit for your needs in your local area.

The general search option allows you to input your zip code, your age, health status and other general information about your insurance needs and it will help you find the right plan. This option does not require you to enter any personal information or your Medicare card data.

Once you submit your answers, a confirmation page will be returned showing you the answers you provided and it will give you some options based on your answers. After you have read over the page, you will click the "Continue" button in the lower right hand corner of the page.

The next page will give you two options. The first is to enter your prescription information. You will simply add all of your prescription drugs to the listing or pull the data from your current Medicare account. Providing your current prescriptions will help the system provide more accurate pricing and choices.

The second option on this page lets you go on to the plan choice page.

After you click to continue with either option, you will get a detailed listing back of the number of plan choices available to you, the average cost per plan, the ratings of each plan from other recipients and the individual plans listed in lowest price order. You can also choose to rearrange the results by average rating, annual deductible and other headers.

At this point, you can carefully review all of your Medicare Part D Plans to choose from. As stated earlier, for the best comparison you should enter your prescription drug information. You may not find a plan that covers all your prescriptions, but try to find one that covers the most expensive prescriptions. You may also want to see if they cover generic versions of any of the drugs you are on (if applicable).

You will also want to enter the information for the pharmacy that you prefer to work with.

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Medicare Open Enrollment Period: What You Need to Know Before You Signup

The Medicare open enrollment cycle for existing beneficiaries occurs annually during the last six weeks of the year (November 15th through December 31st). The changes made during this time period will go into effect January 10th of the New Year.

During this time period, Medicare beneficiaries have the choice to go with traditional Medicare only, a Medicare supplement insurance plan or to sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan.

After the beneficiary has made a decision, he or she has until March 31st to switch plans. If not change his made before this date, the plan will remain intact until the following year's open enrollment season.

Users have the ability to keep their existing Medicare Advantage plans by doing nothing. To make changes, users can enroll at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
What should you do before making a decision?

First off, be sure to review your current health and prescription drug plans. The costs for plans will change annually so you need to know your current benefits and pricing. You can then compare your existing Medicare plan with other ones to see if you can find a better choice. If you want to keep the existing plan, you do not have to do anything. It will rollover at the end of the open enrollment period.

If you decide to make a change to your health insurance plans, it is best to do it as soon as possible. This will help you avoid any confusion at your local pharmacy when the new plans go into effect in January.

When you have chosen the new plan (if you do), you should join with one of the following methods:

Sign Up with a Paper Medicare Application: The company that is handing your plan will have an application. You can fill it out and send it back by mail, fax or possibly email.

Visit the Plan Website: Find the website for the plan you have chosen and complete an online application.

Go to the Medicare Website: There are many drug plans available on the official Medicare website. There is a chance though that the plan you have chosen will not be available here so you may have to use another application choice.

You Can Call the Company Directly: If you have the phone number for the Medicare drug plan company you can normally call and enroll by phone.

Call Medicare: As a final resort, you can call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE and enroll by phone. This is by far the most difficult and time-consuming option and should be kept as a last resort.

What Information is needed to join a Medicare Drug Plan?

If you are ready to join, you will need the following items to complete your enrollment:

• Your personal information (full name, address, date of birth, etc.)
• The information on your Medicare Card
• The premium payment option
• Any other insurance information.
• Your social security number (optional)
• Your Email address (optional)
• A Name and Phone Number for an Emergency Contact
• The contact information for the nursing home or assisted living facility you reside in (if applicable)

Once you have completed the Medicare open enrollment application process, you will receive a packet of information from the company you have enrolled with. The materials they send will include a membership card, a handbook, a list of covered prescription drugs, a directory of approved pharmacies, the appeal or complaint procedure instructions and other related details of the plan.

In closing, it is important to devote some time each fall to finding the best Medicare health insurance plan for you and your significant other. No matter your ultimate choice, it is important that you compare all your options before making a final decision.

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Medicare Enrollment Application – Who Has to Apply?

Medicare is a health insurance program provided by the United States government. The Medicare Program covers citizens who are 65 years old or older, or those meeting other specific criteria.

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