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WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
Get Basic Information.
If you are eligible for Medicare, you will receive the “Medicare & You
2008" handbook by mail. You can also get more information from
Medicare’s website http://www.medicare.gov/. Also, click on WHERE CAN
I GET HELP? to find out how to contact your local Senior Health Insurance
Assistance Program (“SHIP”) and for links to other helpful websites.
Understand Your Choices.
You have two important decisions to make:
1)
Should you enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan?
2)
If so, which plan is right for you?
Answering the following questions will help you decide:
Do you already have prescription
drug coverage under a State pharmacy programs?
If you
already have coverage under one of the state programs listed
below and are Medicare-eligible, you MUST enroll in a Medicare
Part D plan by December 31, 2007 to continue receiving prescription
drug coverage.
Examples of such State pharmacy programs are: Medicaid (not
including HealthChoice Managed Care organizations); Maryland
Pharmacy Assistance Program; Maryland Pharmacy Discount Program;
Senior Pharmacy Discount Program. Click here for more
information about these programs; Click
here for a chart comparing Programs, Eligibility & Benefits.
Do you already have prescription
drug coverage under the State Retiree Health Benefits Program?
If you
do, either as a State retiree or a retiree’s spouse or dependent,
your coverage will not change as long as you continue to qualify
for it. You can choose to keep that coverage by itself, or to
enroll in a Medicare Part D plan which can either replace your
State retiree coverage or function together with your State retiree
coverage.
You
should receive more information about your choices from the State
Retiree Health Benefits Program, and you can click
here for more information as it becomes available. See also
NOTICES OF CREDITABLE AND NON-CREDITABLE COVERAGE below.
Do you already have prescription
drug coverage under a different federal program?
If you
do, your coverage will not change as long as you continue to
qualify for it. You can choose to keep that coverage or enroll
in a Medicare Part D plan. Keep in mind that other federal programs
may offer better coverage than Part D plans.
Examples of other federal programs include: TRICARE, the Department
of Veteran’s Affairs; the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program
(“FEHB”). You should receive notices about your choices from
these other plans in fall, 2005. READ THESE NOTICES CAREFULLY
AND SAVE THEM. See also NOTICES OF CREDITABLE AND NON-CREDITABLE
COVERAGE below.
Do you already have other
private prescription drug coverage with an employer, a union,
etc.?
If you
do, you MAY OR MAY NOT be able to continue that coverage. You
should receive notices from your employer, former employer, or
union, or from a Medigap (Medicare Supplemental
Insurance) policy. These notices will let you know whether your
coverage will continue, and whether it meets Medicare’s guidelines
for “creditable” coverage allowing you to avoid a penalty if
you enroll later in a Part D plan. READ THESE NOTICES CAREFULLY
AND SAVE THEM. You must make sure you choose the best option
available to you.
*NOTICES OF CREDITABLE OR NON-CREDITABLE COVERAGE*
If you
currently have prescription drug coverage under the State retiree
plan, another federal plan, or a private plan, you may be better
off staying with those plans instead of enrolling in Medicare
Part D. If you receive a “Notice of Creditable Coverage” from
your current plan, it means that your plan is at least as good
as Medicare’s standard Part D plan, and may even be better. It
also means that you will not be subject to a penalty for enrolling
in a Part D plan later if your current plan or your personal
circumstances change.
Are you interested in obtaining prescription drug
coverage through a Medicare Advantage Plan which might offer
lower costs, but would also provide your health benefits
and limit your choices for health care providers?
Instead
of enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan, you may be
able to obtain drug coverage at lower cost through a Medicare
Advantage Plan. The Medicare Advantage Plan would also provide
your health benefits. It may offer lower overall costs, but will
limit you to physicians and providers who participate in the
plan.
Compare Prescription Drug Plans.
If you must, or you decide you should, enroll in a Medicare prescription drug
plan, be very careful to choose the best plan for you. Take the following
steps:
1) Make
a list of the medications and dosages you take.
2) DO
NOT NECESSARILY ENROLL WITH THE FIRST OR EVEN SECOND PLAN YOU
LEARN ABOUT! Marketers may try to rush you into a decision. Take
your time.
3) For
each plan available in Maryland, check:
- which drugs it offers;
- which pharmacies it uses;
- what
you pay for premiums, deductibles, and prescription co-payments.
You
can compare by:
- Going to http://www.medicare.gov/. There is a “Drug Plan
Finder” tool under “Search
Options.”
- Calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Someone will be able to search the “Drug
Plan Finder” for you and send you a printed copy of the results.
- Visiting or calling your local Senior Health Insurance Assistance
Program (“SHIP”) office. Click
here for contact information.
Enroll in the Right Plan for You.
Timing: If you are Medicare-eligible and
do not have any drug coverage, or your current drug coverage
will not continue after January 1, 2008, YOU MUST ENROLL in a
plan between November 15, 2007 and December 31, 2007 in order
to have coverage beginning January 1.
Ways to enroll:
- Through the company offering the plan you choose. You may
be able to enroll by paper application, on the company’s website,
or over the phone. BE SURE that, whatever method you choose,
you are dealing with a legitimate, Medicare-approved company,
the company’s real website, and an actual representative from
the company. Click on HOW
DO I SURVIVE THE MARKETING AVALANCHE AND AVOID SCAMS for
more information about avoiding pitfalls.
- Through Medicare, either online at http://www.medicare.gov/, or by phone at 1-800-MEDICARE.
Not all plans will offer this option. Again, be sure you are
on the correct website or talking to an actual Medicare employee,
particularly because you will have to provide your Social Security
and Medicare numbers in order to enroll.
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