Shawn Mercer, a public affairs specialist with the Social Security Administration, visited News 7 Today November 16 to inform viewers on the latest with Medicare. Here's what you need to know if you're on Medicare...
- Starting January 1, 2006, Medicare prescription drug coverage will be available to all people with Medicare.
- Insurance companies and other private companies will work with Medicare to offer a choice of drug coverage plans to provide help with your drug costs, no matter how your prescriptions are paid for now.
- But you must sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan to get this new coverage.
- You can sign up for a plan between now and May 15, 2006.
- All plans will cover both brand name and generic drugs. For millions of people with limited income and resources, there's extra help paying for this important new coverage.
- If you apply for that extra help and you qualify, you will receive continuous drug coverage and you will pay only a small amount out of your pocket.
- It is very important to remember that you need to take these two steps to get extra help paying for your Medicare prescription drug plan costs:
- First, you need to apply for extra help through the Social Security Administration.
- Second, you need to sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan in the fall to get prescription drug coverage.
- Whether or not you qualify for extra help, Medicare prescription drug plans can still help you save money on drug costs and protect against higher drug costs in the future.
- Unless you have drug coverage now that is at least as good as Medicare prescription drug coverage, you should join a Medicare prescription drug plan.
- Signing up for a drug plan by May 15, 2006 will protect you from paying higher premiums for your prescription drug coverage after that time.
- Medicare will help you learn more about your Medicare prescription drug plan options:
- You'll receive the Medicare & You handbook in the mail this fall with information about the plans in your area.
- You can visit www.medicare.gov in the fall and use Medicare's Prescription Drug Plan Finder web tool to help you compare plans.
- You can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
- Free counseling will also be available in your community to help you enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. Check with your local State Health Insurance Program, senior center or state office to learn where you can get help.
- The Medicare prescription drug coverage is different from the Medicare-approved prescription drug cards.
- If you have a Medicare-approved prescription drug card, it will stop working May 15, 2006.
- The purpose of the drug card was to provide discounts on the cost of drugs.
- Now with the new prescription drug coverage, Medicare offers insurance to help pay for the cost of your prescription drugs.
- For more details, contact our guest, Shawn Mercer a public affairs specialist with the Social Security Administration, at 601-544-4370. (Please understand the Social Security office cannot help you in setting up a plan.)
