Medicare Part D OMG CONFUSING!! Help!!

[Terrilen 0]

:help: I have been disabled for 2 years so now I qualify for Medicare. That means I have to pick out a perscription drug coverage plan. Now I am not the brightest person in the world but my Mother did not raise an idiot either! But Holy Mother Of YO MOMMA!!! I cannot understand the part D coverage no matter how hard I try. It is too confusing and I am going to winde up paying ALOT more for my perscriptions than I am paying now!~ At this point I do not even want medicare! I now understand how sr citizens can say I either get my meds or I buy food! For example my Cogentin on almost every plan is $550 for 30 pills!! I pay $7 now! My other meds have a co pay of $70 each...I am not a happy camper! I HATE GEORGE BUSH!! Does anyone have a plan they are happy with, perhaps it would be offered in Fl? In the meantime I will continue pulling my hair out trying to understand this stupied thing! ARRRRRGGGG! I HATE GEORGE BUSH!!!!! Damn Skippy I blame him!

[bitteroldhag 0]

I don't think you are forced to join Medicare Part D. You can opt out. We joined because Halliburton kept threatening to cut its retirees off from medical insurance. Mother hit the donut hole about the end of October so we got the donut hole insurance for next year. But I don't think anyone is forced to participate in the part D plan. If you are on Medicaid, that might be different. I don't know anything about that. But these prices seem pretty high to me. Maybe we should move to a universal health care plan.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

The BuSh administration and the Republican controlled 109th congress took credit for helping the elderly with this abortion of a Prescription drug plan.

It actually only benefited the Drug companies and the insurance companies. The US Government's Medicare department is not allowed to negotiate Rx prices with the Drug companies and the insurance companies get to run the program. Both of those provisions cost the US taxpayer dearly and they do not benefit the Medicare Rx participant.

I will have to pay much more for Rx drugs when I go on Medicare than I do now with my retirement Rx plan. Another provision gave employers the right to drop Rx coverage when retirees join Medicare even if it was a guaranteed retirement benefit.

Maybe a Democrat in the White House and a Democrat controlled 111th Congress can make things better in 2009. think about that when you vote in 2008.

[Carlene 12]

The BuSh administration and the Republican controlled 109th congress took credit for helping the elderly with this abortion of a Prescription drug plan.

It actually only benefited the Drug companies and the insurance companies.

More than anyone else, it benefits BIG BUSINESS - most of which is self-insured. Almost all companies who provided drug coverage for retirees stopped doing so, once they became eligible for Medicare Part D, saving themselves BILLIONS. Big business is Mr. Bush's best friend, and vice versa. If you didn't know this before, surely you do now.

[Carlene 12]

I don't think you are forced to join Medicare Part D. You can opt out.

Give VERY careful consideration to this before you "opt out" of Medicare Part D. If you do so, you will be charged a penalty FOREVER AFTER when you do join. It is unlikely that it will be worth it financially, in the long run.

[Terrilen 0]

Thanks Carlene, I will remember that. I seriously doubt I will. It is sad that I pay 700 a month for individual health care and get my perscriptions for $7 each. When I go on Medicare I will be paying close to $1000 a month for perscriptions! I cannot afford that I am on diasability, so between now and Febuary my Dr and I are going to have to figure out how to switch my meds or take me off some of them all together. That sucks! Being Bi Polar having your meds right is vital! We have worked so hard to get me set and now I am going to have to mix things up. I will say it again..I HATE GEORGE BUSH!!!

[Carlene 12]

Thanks Carlene, I will remember that. I seriously doubt I will. It is sad that I pay 700 a month for individual health care and get my perscriptions for $7 each. When I go on Medicare I will be paying close to $1000 a month for perscriptions! I cannot afford that I am on diasability, so between now and Febuary my Dr and I are going to have to figure out how to switch my meds or take me off some of them all together. That sucks! Being Bi Polar having your meds right is vital! We have worked so hard to get me set and now I am going to have to mix things up. I will say it again..I HATE GEORGE BUSH!!!

Once you pick a Medicare prescription plan, get a copy of their formulary (usually available online) and take that to the doctor's office with you. Sticking to their formulary will save you a bundle. Any of your meds that can be switched to generics will save you a ton, as well.

I chose Humana for my MIL and her doctor switched her to all generics, except for Protonix, and the GI doctor gives her a year's worth of samples at a time. My MIL is not poor but she won't take anything that isn't generic, because she doesn't want to pay full freight for her meds. Humana charges a max of $7.00 co-pay for generics.

[GeezerSue 7]

I thought that if you didn't take Medicare Part D, you had to pay 100% for the Rx drugs. (What do I know?)

My mom is in a Medicare HMO...and her drug copay went down. A little. HOWEVER--thank you, Mr. Assholes-in-the-White House and Congress--she now has a $4000 limit she didn't have before. (And, interestingly enough, both what the insurance company pays AND WHAT SHE PAYS count towards the $4000. Bastards.)

Meanwhile, my husband will retire in abut 13 months. The policy he currently has will begin to cost us $982/month. (Currently, it's $120.) We can switch to another policy at Open Enrollment, but that will be after we pay for THIS assault on our senses for five months. The two other PPO policies price out at $440/mo or $200/mo depending on whether we want to pay more for lower (or, in some cases) no copays or pay as we use the services. With those two...because DH is on an expensive drug...his copay for that one drug will go from $10/Rx to $150/Rx.

Europe is far more civilized.

[wootsie73 0]

Terrilen,

I feel your pain girl! Since I'm also disabled, I was getting most of my medications free through a program at the Human Resources, welfare, office. I had to start paying for all of my meds plus the Medicare Part D! So, I now get less money than I did my very first disability check, which was 4 years ago now. I make to much on my disability to get assistance paying for it, so I have to struggle. My docs are very good about giving generics when possible, so ask them and this might be a good option for you. I also chose Humana for the Part D. I still have regular Medicare for the docs, but be aware that if you want to get Medicare Supplementary insurance, you only have an open enrollment for 6 months after you become disabled. I wasn't aware of that, so I can't get any extra coverage at this point. I was going to change to a Medicare Advantage plan, which is the same thing as an HMO, but my lap-band surgeon doesn't take any of them. So, I decided getting 80% paid for was a lot better than none. You can go to the Medicare website and compare some of the plans that are offered in your area. That's how I chose mine. Good luck with this!

[Terrilen 0]

Thanks for the info Wootsie!