Our part D provider sent us the coverage changes last week.

October 15th for sure. That is when open enrollment starts. Some years they will post it a few days early, but not always.

The sign up period is Oct 15 to Dec. 7 so it should be available shortly. If you already have a provider go to their website and check if the new rates are available.

We got info in the mail last week from our part D provider providing the changes for the new year.

Thanks. I guess Medicare will update for next year's plans soon.

I don't care what my *current* Part D insurer offers for 2021. I don't think we have ever found that the best plan for either of us was the same plan we had the prior year. (Insurers send you information hoping you won't compare and change. Changing is simple.)

The Medicare website lets you list your meds and as many as five pharmacies (and/or mail order), then shows you what your annual cost would be (premium and meds) at each pharmacy you've listed. It will also say whether you can expect to use up a plan's deductible, based on the meds you've provided.

chisue,

If you set up a Medicare.gov account you don't need to list all your meds. Any meds that Part D has been paying for will automatically be listed for you. If you have any you pay for out of pocket you can then manually enter those.

We got our Medicare & You 2021 book in todays mail.

The Medicare handbook is usually printed before they have information -- or the *correct* information -- on every Part D plan that will be available. It doesn't even contain the Part B premium, for the same reason. The book sits on our shelf until the next one arrives, unless we need to look up details about coverage under A or B. I suppose it has to be printed and mailed for people without internet access.

We got our booklets this week for 2021. It only compares the changes between this year and next year. Apparently, all other parts for this year are the same for next year.

The premium for my part D almost tripled!

our prescription drug plan through united healthcare went from 79,00 to 93,00 a month for each of us. I only take one cheap pill and have been thinking of looking for another plan but am afraid to change? I would prefer no drug plan and just pay. Do you have to notify your plan? Very confused with this.

Sai, when the Part D plans are open, go to the medicare site and you can search for a plan and sign up right then and there, You won't need to cancel your old plan, it can all be done from the website.

It is rarely possible to get the best plan by just staying with the same company. At least compare plans every year. And yes, the details/drugs/pharmacies can and do change every year.

thanks

I have kept my regular insurance and I do mail order for long term things but local for any immediate medicine needs. I have asked the local pharmacy what the cost was without using my insurance. When the cost is less than the copay I just pay for it without sending it through insurance.

You are required to have a Part D plan if you have Medicare. You will be penalized later if you haven't signed up for Part D coverage when you are eligible for it.

If you have few meds or very inexpensive ones, take the plan with the cheapest premium. DH often goes a whole year without using half of a plan's scary-big 'deductible' (over $400 in recent years, and most plans have them).

ALWAYS search the Part D plan offerings for the coming year, and check with the insurer to be certain the information on the Medicare.gov site is correct -- regarding the premium and the cost of each drug. "Mistakes are made," early on as the companies are submitting their information to Medicare.

Other nations control the price of prescription medications without this nonsense of Part D insurance. They only people who benefit from the US system are the insurers and the pharmaceutical companies. Ours is also the only nation to permit advertising of prescription drugs. (Not certain if New Zealand still does this, but they were the only other one.)

I have yet to find mail order to be less expensive than a local pharmacy by more than a few dollars.

chisue you are wrong about being required to have Part D if you are on Medicare. Each year I receive a letter stating that my health insurance is the equivalent of Part D. If your insurance includes prescription coverage people should also receive a letter along with it being listed in the coverage. If not then you need to have Part D. Included in the verbiage is a statement that if you later enroll in Part D you will not be penalize.

OK, If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it may or may not cover the Part D Rx plan. Regular Medicare with/without Medigap coverage does not incluse Part D. And then Part D must be done separately. Medicare Advantage Plans are essentially HMO coverage thru insurance companies.

Sorry, maifleur, I failed to consider that some have Medicare Advantage plans. We have "Original Medicare" and never wanted an HMO-type coverage. I believe that some private insurance plans (or those through an employer) also include credible drug coverage, but I'm not sure.

I do know about the penalties for not getting Part D, because DH didn't do it for a couple of years. He had zero prescription meds when first eligible for Medicare, and they didn't require Part D at the time. We somehow missed that when that requirement went into effect. Now he owes a $7/mo. penalty on top of the Part D premium.

chisue I kept my regular employee insurance it is not an Advantage plan.

If you have part D can you just buy your meds without insurance or are you required to have insurance too? My pills would only cost about 100.00 a year, maybe a little more.

sal, part D is insurance but like any insurance you can pay out of pocket if you wish. If you are on Medicare you should be receiving a booklet from CMS and in the back it shows plans that are approved for your state.