Greetings,

CMS Prescription Drug Plan Finder Tool Now Available

On October 17, 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new beneficiary tool called the Prescription Drug Plan Finder. The tool will ask questions based on the coverage beneficiaries have now to provide them with tailored plan comparison information based on what is most important to them, including cost, coverage and convenience. Beneficiaries can also get personalized information on particular plans that they think may be a good fit for them.

The Plan Finder will also allow people to see if they qualify for extra help paying for a Medicare drug plan, if their employer or union is continuing their current drug coverage or if they are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or other Medicare Health Plan or in a Medicare drug plan. As of today, not all of the data is in the plan finder, since the deadline for many employers to submit their applications is Oct. 31 and some applications for those beneficiaries applying for extra help have not been finalized.  Drug plans may also update their price and other benefit information as the November 15, 2005 (the first date to enroll in plans) draws closer.

The tool can be found at http://www.medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

Additional CMS Resource Tools

• Specific brochures and publications to help people with Medicare learn more about prescription drug plans, how to compare plans, and how to apply for the extra help, such as the Getting Started brochure: www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11146.pdf
• The Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Cost Estimator which provides beneficiaries with an example of potential savings they can anticipate with Medicare Prescription Drug coverage: www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/MPDP_Cost_Estimator.asp
• The soon-to-be released BenefitsCheckUpRx for people with Medicare, an online service that will help people assess current prescription drug coverage, find out what part of the new Medicare coverage someone is likely eligible for, tell them what their rights and options are based on their situation, and then help people take the next step, including enrollment in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan – if that is the right decision for them individually.
• A Landscape of Local Plans that shows the Medicare plans that offer drug coverage in a beneficiary’s area including basic information to help them consider the cost, coverage, and convenience of the plan: www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/map.asp
• The Formulary Finder which allows a user to enter a typical combination of drugs used by people with a certain condition to find out which plans in an area have formularies that cover these drugs: http://plancompare.medicare.gov/formularyfinder/selectstate.asp and,
• The Medicare & You 2006 Handbook, currently being mailed to more than 38 million Medicare households, which provides a summary Medicare benefits, rights and protections and answers to the most frequently asked questions about Medicare, including information about the new prescription drug coverage.

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