Medicare prescription drug coverage is insurance that helps people pay for prescription drugs at participating pharmacies. It is available to everyone who has Medicare. It provides protection if you pay high drug costs or have unexpected prescription drug bills. It doesn't cover all costs. You have to pay part of the cost of prescription drugs. Most people also have to pay a monthly premium and a yearly deductible for the coverage.
Private companies provide Medicare prescription drug coverage. You choose the drug plan you like best. Whether or not you should sign up for the coverage depends on how good your current coverage is. You need to sign up for coverage as soon as you are eligible for Medicare. Otherwise, you might have to pay a penalty.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Quick Facts about Medicare's Coverage for Prescription Drugs(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11102.pdf
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Understanding the New Medicare Prescription Drug Plan(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/pat-advocacy/insurance/848.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/pat-advocacy/insurance/848.printerview.html
- How Medicare Drug Plans Use Pharmacies, Formularies, and Common Coverage Rules(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11136.pdf
- Prescription Drug Coverage(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/pdphome.asp
- 3.4 Million Seniors Hit Medicare 'Doughnut Hole'(08/21/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68424.html
- Medicare Prescription Drug Premiums to Rise in '09(08/15/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68175.html
- 5 Ways to Lower Your Costs During the Coverage Gap(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/bridging-the-gap.asp
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Getting Medicare and Prescription Drugs in a Disaster or Emergency Area(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11377.pdf
- Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs(Social Security Administration) - http://www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp/
- Medicare Part D and Cancer Patients(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/content/MIT_3_1_Medicare_D_Introduction.asp?sitearea=MIT
- Prescription Drug Coverage - Help Is Here(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/help-is-here.asp
- Quick Facts about Medicare's Coverage for Prescription Drugs for People Who Have Prescription Coverage from an Employer or Union(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11107.pdf
- Quick Facts about Medicare's Prescription Drug Coverage for People in a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Cost Plan with Prescription Drug Coverage(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11135.pdf
- What Drugs Do Medicare Drug Plans Cover?(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.cms.hhs.gov/partnerships/downloads/11194.pdf
- What You Need to Know about Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage if You Have a Medigap Policy(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11113.pdf
- BenefitsCheckUp(National Council on Aging) - https://ssl1.benefitscheckup.org/before_you_start.cfm
- Medicare Prescription Drug Program(Social Security Administration) - http://www.ssa.gov/medicareoutreach2/media/
- Are You Having Trouble Paying for Prescription Drugs?(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11318.pdf
- Effect of Medicare Part D on Drug Utilization and Expenditures(American College of Physicians) - http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/148/3/I-14
- Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit Has Modestly Boosted Drug Use and Reduced Average Out-of-Pocket Expenses(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - http://www.ahrq.gov/research/jul08/0708RA31.htm
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: FDA turns to electronic "sentinel" to flag prescription drug safety... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18612108&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Medication strategies used by Medicare beneficiaries who reach the Part... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18499881&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Medicare program; standards for e-prescribing under Medicare Part D and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18464348&tool=MedlinePlus
- Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=prescriptions,drug[majr]+AND+medicare[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Medicare Prescription Drug Plan: Glossary of Definitions(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/MPDPF/Shared/Static/ResourcesGlossary.asp
- Formulary Finder for Prescription Drug Plans(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://formularyfinder.medicare.gov/formularyfinder/selectstate.asp
- Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/MPDPF/
- Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder: Plans in Your Area(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/MPDPF/Public/Include/DataSection/Questions/SelectState.asp
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - http://www.cms.hhs.gov/
- Medicare(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/
- TRICARE and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003(Social Security Administration) - http://www.socialsecurity.gov/legislation/tricare.html
- Medicare Beneficiaries with Creditable Prescription Drug Coverage by Type(Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation) - http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?cat=6&ind=307
- Financial Assistance - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/financialassistance.html
- Health Insurance - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthinsurance.html
- Medicare - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medicare.html
- Health System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthsystem.html
- Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html