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The Medicare enrollment period is a designated time each year when beneficiaries can make changes to their Medicare coverage. This period typically runs from October 15 to December 7 annually. During this time, you can: Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan. Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another. Enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Drop your Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Navigating the world of Medicare drug coverage can feel overwhelming. With numerous options and complex terms, selecting the right plan is crucial to managing your healthcare costs effectively. This guide will help you understand Medicare Part D plans, what to look for, and how to choose coverage that fits your needs.

HELPING YOU TO UNDERSTAND MEDICARE PDP PLANS Prescription drug plans help cover the costs of medications not included in original Medicare. They are offered by private insurance companies that contract with the Medicare program. These plans may come with various premiums, deductibles, and copayments. It's essential to understand how these different components work to select the most beneficial plan.

Prescription drug coverage plans are designed to help cover the cost of medications prescribed by your doctor. These plans vary widely in terms of premiums, copayments, formularies (the list of covered drugs), and pharmacy networks. Understanding these differences is crucial to selecting a plan that fits your needs and budget.

Medicare is the most widely used health insurance program for individuals aged 65 and older. If you are nearing eligibility, it is essential to understand what Medicare is and how its four parts work. However, Medicare does not cover everything. You may need to enroll in additional plans to obtain full coverage.

Vaccines play a crucial role in preventing several serious infectious diseases. Luckily, Medicare covers the cost of most vaccines. However, Medicare itself is comprised of four different parts, so it's helpful to know which parts cover which vaccines.

With congressional approval of the Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act, significant changes are coming to Medicare. Most of these changes are fantastic and long overdue for many Medicare Beneficiaries. However, these rapid changes have a cause-and-effect relationship that needs to be explained.

Last Month, Amazon announced the expansion of eligibility for its RxPass prescription medication program. This new program is the Amazon RxPass Prescription Plan. This program allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive unlimited popular, generic (Tier 1 & Tier 2) prescription medications for just a $5.00 Subscription Fee Per Month.

Some of you may remember the Article we wrote last year after it was announced that Medicare would start negotiating Prescription Drug Prices in 2024. Medicare will deal directly with drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Initially, they would select the 10 most-prescribed (Non-Generic) Medications for 2024. Then they would continue to negotiate 10 per year. Although the new pricing will not go into effect until January 1, 2026, I wanted to  show you their progress

Perhaps the most significant benefit is choice and portability. A Medicare Supplement or Medigap plan allows you to choose ANY Doctor, go to ANY Hospital ANYWHERE in the United States, and you are covered, as long as the Doctor and Hospital both accept Medicare's Assignment/Fee Structure.

MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS You must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B to be eligible to enroll in Part D. Medicare drug coverage is only available through private plans. If you have Medicare Part A and/or Part B and you do not have other drug coverage (creditable coverage), you should enroll in a Part D plan.

Both Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B are 80% government-paid, with the remaining 20% borne by the beneficiary or patient. With Original Medicare, you are free to choose a Doctor or Hospital that accepts Medicare Terms for payment. (Approximately 94% of all Doctors accept Medicare.

The best way to compare Drug plans for your specific medications is to speak with your Medicare Broker. They typically can offer plans from multiple Insurance companies. Here at Braden Medicare, we are contracted with every Medicare Part D Plan in Arizona. They will compare your medications, whether you have Original Medicare with a Stand-Alone Medicare Part D Drug Plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes Prescription Drugs.

Each plan that offers prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D must provide at least the standard level of coverage set by Medicare. Plans can vary the list of prescription drugs they cover (called a formulary) and how they place drugs into different "tiers" on their formularies. (A formulary is a listing of all of the drugs/medications that a particular plan has available to its members.  All Medicare Part D Plans must have two drugs available in each category. 

Everything you need to know about Medicare starts here: there are three ways to receive Medicare coverage: Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D. Each option has its own benefits and costs. 

AMAZON'S RxPass HAS YOU COVERED While other savings programs charge for each medication, Rx Pass is always $5 a month —no matter how many generic prescription medications you take.   AMAZON RxPass HAS A LOW FLAT FEE ON 50 GENERIC MEDICATIONS FOR SENIORS. Every Amazon Prime Member who is a current Medicare Beneficiary can join RxPass and begin to take advantage of these unbelievable savings. SUBSCRIBE FOR JUST $5 PER MONTH

The purpose of this article is not to be a statement for or against vaccines in any way, shape, or form. To deliver information, I respectfully do not care if you are pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine. Neither viewpoint is the reason why I decided to write the article. This article offers tips, tricks, and reminders to keep seniors and Medicare beneficiaries aware of the proper way to receive vaccines without incurring any costs. It's as simple as that.

Here at Braden Medicare Insurance, it is almost an oxymoron to say the words Medicare and Reader's Digest Form in the same sentence. That is simply because Medicare is so broad and complex that it is challenging to encapsulate the concepts in a book, let alone a chapter, and have them make sense. In this article, we have done our best to present the condensed Reader's Digest version of Medicare. We hope you find the article helpful and worthwhile.