Resources:
Wisconsin Prescription Drug Resource Center
Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
BenefitsCheckUpRx is a powerful, easy-to-use online tool. It can help seniors learn about and enroll in programs that dramatically reduce the cost of prescription drugs, including the new Medicare prescription drug coverage. It can also help them find and enroll in other important government and private company programs. Provided by The National Council on the Aging and developed with the support of the U.S. Administration on Aging and the Department of Health and Human Services, the service has already helped thousands of seniors find the prescription savings programs they need.
Wisconsin Prescription Drug Resource Center
Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
BenefitsCheckUpRx is a powerful, easy-to-use online tool. It can help seniors learn about and enroll in programs that dramatically reduce the cost of prescription drugs, including the new Medicare prescription drug coverage. It can also help them find and enroll in other important government and private company programs. Provided by The National Council on the Aging and developed with the support of the U.S. Administration on Aging and the Department of Health and Human Services, the service has already helped thousands of seniors find the prescription savings programs they need.
The following is a list of things all seniors
should know before signing up for
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan
(PDP):
1. Participation in the Medicare Part D
program is voluntary. If you don't do
anything, your existing outpatient
prescription drug coverage and
Medicare supplement policy will
remain the same.
2. You can continue with the
SeniorCare program until you
receive notice informing you
otherwise.
3. You do not have to enroll in
Medicare Part D in order to keep
your existing Medicare Part A and
Part B coverage.
4. You do not have to buy any
additional insurance products to be
eligible to enroll in Medicare Part D
and all seniors should be wary of
any individual who uses a Part D
sales pitch to sell other insurance
products.
5. If you enroll in a Medicare Part D
PDP, you will receive an
amendment to your existing
Medicare supplement policy and the
amendment will remove all
outpatient prescription drug benefits
under your policy.
6. If you enroll in a Medicare Part D
PDP, your Medicare supplement
policy will be amended to remove
the benefits covering prescription
medication for treatment of diabetes
and insulin and supplies associated
with the injection of insulin. These
benefits will be provided by the
Medicare Part D PDP but will be
subject to the deductible,
coinsurance and co-payments
associated with the PDP coverage.
7. If you change your mind after you
have enrolled in a Medicare Part D
PDP, you will not be able to
reinstate the outpatient prescription
drug coverage you have had under
your Medicare supplement policy.
8. You will have an open-enrollment
period from to enroll in a
Medicare Part D PDP.
9. You may be subject to enrollment
penalties if you delay enrolling in a
Medicare Part D PDP until after the annual deadline.
should know before signing up for
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan
(PDP):
1. Participation in the Medicare Part D
program is voluntary. If you don't do
anything, your existing outpatient
prescription drug coverage and
Medicare supplement policy will
remain the same.
2. You can continue with the
SeniorCare program until you
receive notice informing you
otherwise.
3. You do not have to enroll in
Medicare Part D in order to keep
your existing Medicare Part A and
Part B coverage.
4. You do not have to buy any
additional insurance products to be
eligible to enroll in Medicare Part D
and all seniors should be wary of
any individual who uses a Part D
sales pitch to sell other insurance
products.
5. If you enroll in a Medicare Part D
PDP, you will receive an
amendment to your existing
Medicare supplement policy and the
amendment will remove all
outpatient prescription drug benefits
under your policy.
6. If you enroll in a Medicare Part D
PDP, your Medicare supplement
policy will be amended to remove
the benefits covering prescription
medication for treatment of diabetes
and insulin and supplies associated
with the injection of insulin. These
benefits will be provided by the
Medicare Part D PDP but will be
subject to the deductible,
coinsurance and co-payments
associated with the PDP coverage.
7. If you change your mind after you
have enrolled in a Medicare Part D
PDP, you will not be able to
reinstate the outpatient prescription
drug coverage you have had under
your Medicare supplement policy.
8. You will have an open-enrollment
period from to enroll in a
Medicare Part D PDP.
9. You may be subject to enrollment
penalties if you delay enrolling in a
Medicare Part D PDP until after the annual deadline.
12 Things to Know Before Signing Up for Medicare Part D
10. Medicare Part D PDPs have
monthly premiums and may have
deductibles and coinsurance and
co-payment requirements.
Information regarding covered
medications, costs, and coverage
areas will be available on
Medicare's Web site:
www.medicare.gov.
11. You may be eligible for help to pay
for your Medicare Part D
prescription drug expenses and/or
premiums based on your income.
Information is available by
contacting the Social Security
Administration at 1-800-772-1213
or www.ssa.gov.
12. If you are covered by Medicare and
Medicaid and do not make a
choice among the PDP plan
options by the deadline,
Medicare will automatically enroll
you in a Medicare Part D PDP that
it chooses.
Before enrolling in Part D, seniors should review how their current drug coverage will be affected, determine how much their annual out-of-pocket expense for prescription medications will be, determine what the Part D coverage will be annually for premiums, deductibles and co-pays, and determine if they are eligible for a subsidy to cover expenses under Part D.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) publishes a listing of the Medicare Part D PDPs that can offer
outpatient prescription drug coverage to
Wisconsin Medicare beneficiaries. The
list of these PDP plans is published in
the Medicare & You booklet that you
receive each year. Additional information can be found by calling CMS at 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227).
The Office of the Commissioner of
Insurance publishes several consumer
guides to assist seniors in their shopping for insurance. Medicare Advantage -Questions and Answers and Wisconsin Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare can be ordered free from the agency by writing to OCI
publications, P.O. Box 7873, Madison,
WI 53707-7873, calling 1-800-236-8517
or visiting the OCI Web site at oci.wi.gov.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
P.O. Box 7873
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7873
Telephone Message System
(608) 266-3585 (Madison)
1-800-236-8517 (Outside Madison)
monthly premiums and may have
deductibles and coinsurance and
co-payment requirements.
Information regarding covered
medications, costs, and coverage
areas will be available on
Medicare's Web site:
www.medicare.gov.
11. You may be eligible for help to pay
for your Medicare Part D
prescription drug expenses and/or
premiums based on your income.
Information is available by
contacting the Social Security
Administration at 1-800-772-1213
or www.ssa.gov.
12. If you are covered by Medicare and
Medicaid and do not make a
choice among the PDP plan
options by the deadline,
Medicare will automatically enroll
you in a Medicare Part D PDP that
it chooses.
Before enrolling in Part D, seniors should review how their current drug coverage will be affected, determine how much their annual out-of-pocket expense for prescription medications will be, determine what the Part D coverage will be annually for premiums, deductibles and co-pays, and determine if they are eligible for a subsidy to cover expenses under Part D.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) publishes a listing of the Medicare Part D PDPs that can offer
outpatient prescription drug coverage to
Wisconsin Medicare beneficiaries. The
list of these PDP plans is published in
the Medicare & You booklet that you
receive each year. Additional information can be found by calling CMS at 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227).
The Office of the Commissioner of
Insurance publishes several consumer
guides to assist seniors in their shopping for insurance. Medicare Advantage -Questions and Answers and Wisconsin Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare can be ordered free from the agency by writing to OCI
publications, P.O. Box 7873, Madison,
WI 53707-7873, calling 1-800-236-8517
or visiting the OCI Web site at oci.wi.gov.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
P.O. Box 7873
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7873
Telephone Message System
(608) 266-3585 (Madison)
1-800-236-8517 (Outside Madison)
Maria Meyer, the ADRC's Elderly Benefit Specialist, is available by appointment to assist people in reviewing their prescription drug coverage plans. There have been changes to the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans over the last few years. Some of these changes have lessened the coverage gap or "donut hole" for those with higher drug costs. If you only have Wisconsin SeniorCare you might want to consider having that coverage compared to Medicare Part D to see if you could save money.
