Medicare Plan D deadline looms (Dec 31st)

from the Woodstock Times
by Sigrid Heath

full article:
http://www.ulsterpublishing.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=472042

Open enrollment for the Medicare Part D prescription drug program began November 15 and will continue through December 31. More than 450,000 of New York seniors who are eligible for the program remain unenrolled. That’s a large number of Medicare beneficiaries who are without prescription drug coverage and don’t have to be. Are you among them?

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There are a plethora of plans available to eligible Medicare recipients in Ulster and Dutchess counties. The official Medicare website, http://www.medicare.gov, has detailed information on them all. Click on “Medicare Prescription Drug Plans – 2009 Plan Data,” then using the navigation on the left, choose “Find and Compare Plans,” enter your county and click on the plan about which you’d like to read more.

Some plans carry a monthly premium, some have a deductible. If you have limited income and resources, you probably qualify for extra help that will result in Medicare covering all or almost all of your prescription drug costs. To find out more about this, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

If you don’t have access to the Internet or would prefer to speak with a living human being about Medicare coverage and prescription drug coverage, call the Ulster County Office for the Aging at 340-3456. If you are looking for help with Plan D specifically, ask for an appointment to discuss your Medicare prescription drug coverage plan. Kari Hastings, Medicare coordinator for Ulster County, says the ten volunteers are now taking appointments for mid-December, so don’t delay. People will be asked to bring their Medicare cards and a list of the prescription drugs they’re on. Hastings said hours will be extended as the deadline nears, but it takes about an hour to negotiate the different plans and find one suitable for the individual. A couple should plan for more than an hour.