Decision time draws near on Medicare drug plan
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By ELIZABETH HOCHSTEDLER
elizabeth.hochstedler@lee.net
Sunday, November 9, 2008 9:05 AM CST
As the Medicare Part D election period opens on Nov. 15, many users will see some changes in the government’s prescription drug program for senior citizens. The election period runs through Dec. 31 for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries to sign up for benefits or make changes to existing coverage.
Fifty-seven plans with monthly premiums ranging from $13.70 to close to $100 will be available in 2009, said Mary Rudd of the Chippewa County Department of Aging. The average monthly premium is $47.
The standard plan comes with a $295 deductible, although other deductibles are available.
The plan best for each person may be vastly different.
Rudd, the elderly benefit specialist with the department of aging, works with each person who contacts her to find the plans which best fit their needs.
An elderly benefit specialist is available in every county in Wisconsin and is a position unique to the state.
“We’re kind of the front lines, and people know who were are,” Rudd said.
A tool on Medicare’s Web site can evaluate each plan based on the medications a person uses, and Rudd can run that program for seniors who need assistance.
For those without medications, Wisconsin’s state-run SeniorCare program is probably the best option for them, Rudd said. And people with low incomes may be eligible for Medicare’s Extra Help program.
Once a person has already had a face-to-face meeting with Rudd, she will have much of their information and can help by phone the next year.
Lee Newspapers contributed to this report.
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