Medicare Prescription Drug Open Enrollment

Those of you who are eligible for Medicare have between now and December 31 to enroll in a new or different prescription drug plan and have it go into effect January 1, 2010.

There are 45 different stand-along Prescription Drug Plans to choose from, three different Special Needs Plans and eight Medicare Health Plans. As you probably have discovered, all these choices can be quite confusing.

Those of you who are comfortable with the computer and the internet can go to www.medicare.gov and scroll down to: compare drug plans, click on it and follow the prompts and soon you will be asked to enter your drugs. Then after entering your drugs you will be directed to the list of drug plans that will appear from the least expensive to the most expensive. After looking at the ones in which you are interested you can enroll directly from that web page.

For those of you who are shuddering just thinking about doing all that on the internet we, at the SEMO Area Agency on Aging will be happy to do that for you. Just call us for an appointment at 335-3331 or 1-800-392-8771; you will need to bring a list of your medications and your Medicare card. Please call for an appointment because we are very busy at this time of year as you can imagine.

There is another program we will want to share information about with you. This Medicare Savings Program (MSP) will help by paying your Part B premium of $96.40. If you have income of no more than $1239.00 as a single person or $1660.00 as a married couple and assets for a single person of $8100.00 or a married couple of $12,910.00 you probably will be eligible to have your Medicare Part B premium paid under the Medicare Savings Program. Contact us at the above listed number to learn more about this program as well.