Yesterday I spent some time trying to sort Part D of Medicare
out. If you don't know what Medicare or Part D is, then do not read
past this point. You're too young.
My call to Medicare last night was the third I have made to
them. If your interested, the number is 1-800-MEDICARE. They answer
24/7. I know all this because my drug store, the Union Square
Pharmacy, gave the information to me after they could not explain
how the system worked. I also called Congressman
Bob Beauprez's office, an insurance company, and
an insurance broker who handled a Medicare Supplemental Plan (or
"Medigap") which had nothing to do with the drug plans. All had
different stories.
Plan D makes it sound like there's a plan. There isn't. There's
actually 40 or 50 plans in any given area, some local and some
national, more or less. All are private plans.
The one fact that everyone agreed on is that the way things
stand now, if an eligible person is not enrolled in the plan by May
15, the cost of the plan will increase at the rate of one percent a
month. They differ on how the one percent is figured but it's not
necessarily figured on the price of the plan I might later decide
to enroll in.
Another fact that everyone agrees on is that an enrollee gets
one chance to change plans between now and May 15 and another
chance to change plans between November 15 and December 31 of this
year. After that, things get murky.
I'm not sure if I'll profit slightly by the plan, come out more
or less even, or lose money. Time will tell.
Another thing I have not been able to determine is if I don't
take the plan now, is there a cap on the plan at the 10 percent
point which
Kelly at Beauprez's office seemed to think (call
303-940-5821 to talk to Kelly) or does it just keep rising as
Chris and
Vance at Medicare seemed to think. And how
high percentage-wise can a plan rise?
Also after this year, can I change the plan between November 15
and December 31 or do I have to wait until the actual anniversary
date of the plan in which I am enrolled. I may be wrong but I swear
that Kelly at Beauprez's office told me I would have to wait to the
anniversary date while Medicare told me I could only change between
November 15 and December 31 each year and the anniversary date of
the actual plan had nothing to do with it.
I took the cheapest plan I was offered which is Welcare
Signature. It apparently costs $26.44 a month while I pay $44.10 a
month for prescription drugs. But it doesn't cover one of the
prescriptions. Medicare priced that prescription at $16.88 a month
while I'm getting it at $6.36 a month.
The question I had that Medicare didn't seem to have an answer
for is what would happen if I needed an expensive medication, say
$1,000 a month, in February and the cheap plan I am enrolling in
doesn't cover it?
I can switch to a more expensive plan in November that would
cover it but in the meantime, I have to request an exception from
the insurance company I'm enrolled in, but if I'm turned down I'm
stuck for both the insurance and for the new expensive
prescription, which is probably why insurance was the first
trillion dollar business in this country.
And since I wouldn't know in advance what that prescription
would be, I wouldn't be able to check and see if it was covered by
any of the plans in this area. I tried to phone Kelly twice today
to get the two points cleared up but she was out of the office.
Don't forget, you can give her a call at 303-940-5821 and
tell her the ugly old bald guy needs some help.