Блог Анкара

In This Appendix

^ Making a list of prescription drugs

^ Comparing Part D plans to make your final cut

^ Seeing how Medicare Advantage health plans measure up to one another

•bInding the best drug plan among scores of possibilities — when each W One has its own costs and benefits and is different from the next — can be a nightmarish prospect. But it doesn’t have to be a nightmare in practice. In Part III, I explain how you can whittle those choices down to a manageable few — by first deciding whether you want to receive your healthcare from traditional Medicare or from a Medicare Advantage plan and then by comparing Part D plans head-to-head according to what they charge for the drugs you take (and other factors that may be important to you).

Using checklists and notes of point-by-point comparisons to track the info you’re compiling can help you more clearly see the differences between the plans you’re considering so you can make that final cut — down to one. This appendix has three worksheets designed to help you do just that.

Worksheet 1 Is essentially your master list. It provides an organized way of jotting down complete information on all the prescription drugs you take. This is the list you need to make before you can compare Part D plans properly, as explained in Chapter 10.

Worksheet 2 Is the tool to use after you’ve searched the online Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder (or had someone do this for you), as explained in Chapter 10, and reduced your number of drug-plan options to a shortlist of three or four that seem best. You can use this worksheet to finalize your choice among either stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) or Medicare Advantage health plans that cover drugs (MAPDs).

Worksheet 3 Is a checklist to use when considering Medicare Advantage plans for their health costs and benefits, as explained in Chapter 9, after you’ve reduced these plans to a shortlist of the three or four that seem best for you.

Worksheet 1 is the essential list you must make before comparing Part D plans, as explained in Chapter 10. For each of the drugs you take, write down its exact name together with any other words or letters that follow the name (for example, verapamil HCR ER), its dosage (120 mg, 2.50 ml, and so on), and how often you take it (one pill a day, one bottle a month, and so on).

Worksheet 1 Your Personal List of Prescription Drugs

Full Name of Prescription Dosage How Often You

Drug Take Drug

1_

2_

3_

4_

5_

6_

7_

8_

9_

H)_

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Worksheet 2 is designed to be used with the online Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder, found at Www. medicare. gov. The plan finder tool provides answers to the following questions, as I describe in Chapter 10.

What will be my total estimated out-of-pocket costs over the year at Retail pharmacies Under this plan? (Dollar amount)

What will be my total estimated out-of-pocket costs over the year under this plan’s Mail-order service? (Dollar amount or N/A if mail order not offered)

What will my total estimated out-of-pocket costs be over the year under this plan if I choose available Lower-cost drugs? (Dollar amount)

How many of my drugs come with any restrictions: prior authorization, quantity limits, step therapy? (for example, 1 PA, 2 QL, 0 ST)_

Will I fall into the coverage gap under this plan? (Yes or no)

Does this plan cover any of my drugs in the gap? (Yes or no)

Does this plan use pharmacies that are convenient for me? (Yes or no)

What are this plan’s ratings for customer service? (POor, FAir, GOod, VEry GOod,

EXcellent)

Will this plan cover my prescriptions when I’m away from home? (Yes or no)

You can use Worksheet 3 to compare Medicare Advantage health plans After You’ve decided to receive medical benefits from an MA plan rather than traditional Medicare (as explained in Chapter 9). This worksheet focuses only on medical care. You can get most of the answers by comparing Medicare health plans online at Www. medicare. gov. You may have to ask plans or providers for answers the online tool can’t provide. (To compare these plans’ drug benefits, use Worksheet 2.)

Worksheet 3 Comparing Medical Benefits in Medicare

Advantage Plans

Suggested Questions to Plan 1 Plan 2 Plan 3 Plan 4 Answer For Each Plan

Will the providers (doctors, hospitals) that I prefer accept this plan? (Yes or no)

Will this plan allow me to go to out-of-network providers for a higher co-pay? (Yes or no)

Will this plan cover my nonemergency healthcare needs outside of its service area? (Yes or no)

What will my fixed costs (monthly premium, annual deductible) be in this plan? (Dollar amounts)

Does this plan put a limit on my out-of-pocket expenses in a year? (Dollar amount) Are any services excluded from this limit? (Yes or no)

What will I pay to visit my primary care doctor in this plan? (Dollar amount or percentage)

Suggested Questions to Plan 1 Plan 2 Plan 3 Plan 4 Answer For Each Plan

What will I pay to visit a specialist in this plan? (Dollar amount or percentage)

What will I pay to stay in a hospital in this plan? (Dollar amount or percentage)

What are this plan’s ratings for quality of care? (pOor, FAir, GOod, VEry GOod, EXcellent)

Does this plan offer benefits for vision, hearing, or dental care? (Yes or no for V, h, Or D)

Does this plan offer preventive care (screenings, scans, tests) that meets my needs? (Yes or no)

Does this plan cover physical exams? (Yes or no)

Appendix B