Medicare Open Enrollment - Learn More

This year the Medicare Open Enrollment Period – which begun Saturday, October 15 – has been expanded to last seven weeks and will end on December 7. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs the program, this will give beneficiaries more time to compare the options and find the best plan that meets their unique needs.

This is the time of year eligible Medicare beneficiaries can either sign up for a prescription drug plan for the first time or, if medical needs have changed or there’s a more affordable option available, choose a new plan. The place for beneficiaries to go is Medicare’s Plan Finder – available at www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan – where people can shop for the plan that best suits them.

[Read how nearly 90% of seniors are satisfied with the Medicare Part D program.]

Part D is a proven success and is helping beneficiaries in numerous ways. Today, over 27 million seniors and people with disabilities have access to medicines through the program. In fact, 90 percent of Medicare’s beneficiaries now have prescription drug coverage.

Most importantly, it provides effective, affordable access to medicines. The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that average monthly Part D premiums for 2012 will decrease slightly to $30 –46 percent lower than original premium projections. And for low-income people, extra help is available. See below information for resources.

Part D is helping save money for beneficiaries and Medicare overall. A recent study by Harvard researchers found that access and adherence to medicines, driven by Part D, saves Medicare about $1,200 per year in hospital, nursing home and other costs for each senior who previously lacked comprehensive prescription drug coverage. And research published in the American Journal of Managed Care found overall savings to Medicare through avoided hospitalizations of $13.4 billion in 2007, the first full year of the Part D program.

This information tells us that Part D is keeping people out of hospitals and nursing homes and allowing for healthier, more productive lives. The time is now to join this program or take advantage of the open enrollment period to find a plan that is best for you.

Resources for Medicare Beneficiaries

Visit www.medicare.gov, to get a personalized comparison of costs and coverage of the plans available in your area. The popular Medicare Plan Finder tool has been enhanced for an efficient review of plan choices. Spanish Open Enrollment information is available.
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for around-the-clock assistance to find out more about coverage options. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Multilingual counseling is available.
Review the 2012 Medicare & You handbook. It is also accessible online at: http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf -- and it has been mailed to the homes of people with Medicare.
Get one-on-one counseling assistance from the local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Local SHIP contact information can be found:
- At http://www.medicare.gov/contacts/organization-search-criteria.aspx or
- On the back of the 2011 Medicare & You handbook or;
- By calling Medicare (contact information above).
- Through a listing of national stand-alone prescription drug plans and State specific fact sheets can be found at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/openenrollment.asp

People with Medicare who have limited incomes and resources may qualify for Extra Help paying for their prescription drug costs. There is no cost to apply for Extra Help, also called the low-income subsidy. Medicare beneficiaries, family members, trusted counselors or caregivers can apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778) to find out more.

Your name
Your email
Recipient email(s) (separated by commas)
Subject