New Medicare Part D changes

[BarryE707541]

I am sure that the changes to part D planes next year will help a lot of people but not all.

My mother will be paying over $1,000 more out of pocket for her medicine due to these changes. 

Same drugs same insurance but she will be paying $1998.70 out of pocket next year compared to just over $900 this year. One of her medicines that cost her $2 a month for 10 months this year and $142 a month for the last 2 months of the year will cost her $142 all 12 months next year. I feel bad for those with much higher drug costs and I am glad they are getting some relief, but it seems the relief is not coming from the drug or insurance companies or from the government but from people like my mom. Fortunately, she can manage it for now, but some may not be able to. Is this happening to anyone else? 

[driftdad]

My issue is that I changed to the AARP United Healthcare Part D plan which has a $97.00/month premium.  I now found out that the premium does not count towards the out-of-pocket $2000 limit.  Thus, I could end up paying $3,164 for my prescriptions (premiums plus $2000) limit.  I should have stayed with Wellcare that had no premiums, so that all costs would have applied to the out-of-pocket cap.  I guess I trusted AARP to protect seniors and that they would have warned of this.  I guess they really aren't looking out for seniors.

[TRL1111]

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@driftdad wrote:

Thus, I could end up paying $3,164 for my prescriptions (premiums plus $2000) limit.  I should have stayed with Wellcare that had no premiums, so that all costs would have applied to the out-of-pocket cap. 

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What did you base your decision to change from Wellcare to the UHC Part D plan on?

[TRL1111]

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@BarryE707541 wrote:

Same drugs same insurance 

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Just to make sure--did you use the tool at Medicare.gov to compare drug + premium prices among an assortment of different drugs, at an assortment of pharmacies?

I have a friend who never did that (and his agent told him he was too busy to do it for him!), and the first year I did it for him I saved him over $1,000 by switching to a different Part D plan.  This year, I'm saving him about the same amount by switching again.

Of course it all depends on not being prescribed any drugs you don't already know about, especially expensive ones, but it's all we can do under the current (deeply flawed) system.

And if your mom really does end up spending $1,998.70, that's just tragic.  On the bright side, any drugs she gets prescribed that she doesn't already take will be free.