DRUG COVERAGE COMPARISON 2009

Presented by HICAP

Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program

HICAP is funded in part by a grant from the California Department of Aging through a contract with the

Orange County Office on Aging

Don’t worry; did you know that Medicare has different plans for drug

coverage?

My dear, I am so concern about the

cost of my medicines; some of them cost more than I can afford

Of course not; actually it is very easy, you can do it on-line without going anywhere

and no phone calls are necessary

Really? And how I can choose the best one for me? Sure I have to go several times to the Social Security

office or spend hours on the phone. That is so exhausting

In fact; you can compare your drug

coverage plans from home; you only need your Medicare card

and go to www.medicare.gov

But BE CAREFUL; make sure you are in the Medicare official

website

Click on Compare

Did you know the Medicare Website offers information in Spanish and in large print? If

you want, click on Vea en Español or Use Larger Font

En la siguienta pantalla

selecciona buscar y comparar

plan

Now, lets continue in

English. We need to Find and Compare Plans that

better fit you

We need to customize it for you, so Begin Personalize

Search

You need to input your Medicare ID number,

Remember to scroll down the screen bar to complete all required information; in the

activation date you only need part A or B (not both); and don’t forget to select your health

status

If you have current coverage, you will be

able to see it on Step 3; however, click continue to compare your other

choices

Excellent; if this is the first time you compare plans, you need to input all current medicines you are taking. You can save the medicines’ list and get an ID for it and a password date; in this way, the next time you only input your Drug List ID

and Password Date to up-date your list or compare plans again

Way to go; now click the white box and carefully type your

first drug name, then hit Enter or click Search for Drug

When the drug list appears look for the exact name of your prescription, then click it (become highlighted) and then

click Add Selected to Your Drug

If the exact name of your prescription does not

appear, check the spelling; it can also be sold over the

counter, therefore not appear in the plan list

After selecting your prescription, you will be back to the Enter Drug Name screen to continue your list. Below it will show your complete list in alphabetic order.

After you finish just click Continue

Concerned about your dosages? Relax, now you can adjust them. But first follow

these important recommendations

1

3

2

To adjust your doses just click the little arrow next to the drug name and you can change the mg. (1);

You can also click on the Refill Quantity and customize it (2)And the frequency to refill (3)Remember to click Continue

Remember the password Date? Well, now you have the opportunity to select one (You can use your date of birth to more easily remember ). Just click each arrow

and select your Password Date

XXXXXX

xxxxxxxxx

Ahhaaa! There you go; this is your Drug List ID and Password Date. Write it down and keep it in a safe

place, so only you have access to it

The Medicare Website is setup for Drug Coverage Comparison, but on the

next screen you have the opportunity to select a

Health Plan (HMO) or a Special Need Plan

We can click any type of plan (selected plan changes color) The Prescription Drug Plan is already selected, so just scroll down your

screen to see all the plans available to you

Here are all plans you qualify for. If you already have one here is

highlighted. You can choose any three plans at the time to compare all benefits, just click the small box on the left side of the plan to insert a check mark and click Compare

Now lets see what all that information means so you

can decide which one is the best for you

When you compare Drug Coverage plans: •Check your costs monthly / annually•Any Restriction •How much you have to pay for each medicine•At which Drug Stores you have access•What is the most important for you