Medicare Plan D
Medicare, the health insurance program administered by
the U.S. government, covers citizens who are at least 65 years old.
Persons with certain disabilities are also eligible. For example, those
that suffer from End Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure
requiring dialysis or transplant), or are disabled, are eligible even if
younger than 65.
The Medicare program is run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) department. The CMS administers the four parts of the
Medicare insurance program: Medicare Plan A, Medicare Plan B, Medicare
Plan C, and Medicare Plan D.
Plan A was part of the original 1965 Medicare
legislation and provided hospital coverage. Plan B, also part of the
original, offered optional medical insurance for services such as
doctor visits. In 1997, Part C of Medicare allowed enrollees to get
their Part A/B coverage from private health insurance providers. It
is the 2006 Medicare Plan D that was passed most recently, and that
provided a great deal of confusion to those already enrolled in
Medicare.
Medicare Plan D provided an optional prescription drug benefit
insurance program. Those who chose to enroll in Medicare Plan D
would pay reduced prices on some or all of their prescriptions. The
confusion resulting from Medicare Plan D originates from several
sources.
Medicare Plan D offered this prescription drug coverage through many
individual health insurance companies. Each potential Medicare Plan
D enrollee has to wade through a dizzying array of choices and
prices in order to choose a suitable plan.
Each of the different prescription drug plans offered through
Medicare Plan D generally covered different prescription drugs.
Potential enrollees must consider the prescription drugs they were
taking, plus any they might need in the future.
To compound the confusion, the many plans offered by Medicare Plan D
are often specific to a particular location and sometimes only to
certain pharmacies in that location. Those considering Medicare Plan
D coverage have to be sure that their prescriptions are covered by a
local pharmacy.
On top of all those factors, most of the Medicare Plan D coverage
options have different costs. Those needing Medicare Plan D drug
insurance must consider their budgets, which are often limited or
fixed.
The Medicare Plan D coverage provides useful prescription drug
coverage to seniors who often require regular prescription
medication. However, the chore of sorting through the drugs covered,
locations covered, and differing prices often perplexed seniors.
Those senior citizens (and their families) who need help choosing
among the complex choices of Medicare Plan D can call their local
Social Security office, visit Medicare.gov, or possibly obtain help
from their existing pharmacist.
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