Medicare has added coverage for prescription medicines. This means that people who have Medicare are able to get insurance to pay for part of their prescription drugs. Medicare is working with insurance companies to offer this benefit. It is available no matter what your income, illnesses, or drug costs.
You can sign up between November 15 and December 31 each year. Enroll as soon as you are eligible, or you may have to pay more if you decide to join later.
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Resources
What is the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan?
Where can I learn more?
There is a lot of information about Medicare Part D available on the Internet. familydoctor.org has organized a list of Web sites that can help answer any questions you may have about Medicare Part D.
Information from familydoctor.org:
Information from familydoctor.org:
- Understanding the New Medicare Prescription Drug Plan: Information to help you understand what is being offered with the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.
- Getting Ready for Medicare Part D: Answers to 5 of the most common questions about getting ready for the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.
Information from other organizations:
- www.medicarerxeducation.org: The Medicare Rx Education Network is a group working to educate America's seniors about the new drug benefit. The American Academy of Family Physicians is part of this group.
- www.yourpharmacybenefit.org: YourPharmacyBenefit.org was created to help people make good use of pharmacy benefits as they become available.
Information from Medicare:
- www.medicare.gov: The official site for people with Medicare.
- Medicare & You (PDF file: 116 pages/614 KB; More information on downloading PDF files.): This brochure includes information about prescription drug plans, how to compare plans, and how to apply for the extra help.
- http://www.medicare.gov/MPDPF/Home.asp: This tool was designed to help you compare the benefits of different plans.
- http://www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/partdprototype.asp: This short webcast demonstrates many of the capabilities of this comparison tool that will help people with Medicare choose and join a Medicare Drug Plan.
- http://formularyfinder.medicare.gov/formularyfinder/selectstate.asp: This tool will allow you to find plans in your state that match your required drug list.
- http://www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/map.asp: A landscape of local plans that shows the Medicare plans that offer drug coverage in your area, including basic information to help them consider the cost, coverage, and convenience of the plan.
Information available in other languages:
- http://www.hispanichealth.org/medicare.lasso: Visit this link for on the Part D benefit in English and Spanish, from the nation's oldest and largest network of Hispanic health and human services providers.
- http://tenthings.org: This site contains information about the Medicare Part D benefit - - and the information is available in 10 different languages!
Source
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Reviewed/Updated: 12/06
Created: 11/05