► Medicare Home   ►  Medicare Standard Plans     ►  MedAdvantage Plans      ►  MedAdvantage FAQ   ►  Part "D" Prescription Reasons to choose a RLH Medicare Script Plan ►  Download Application   ►    Download Part D Brochure As for prescription plans there are a lot of differences between the plans available. Like the Medicare Supplement plans, you can get some with no premium, modest premium, or even some that pay you each month.  Look carefully at the number of medications that are on the list. Some plans have as few as 150 drugs they cover. Others a few hundred.  We recommend the plan that covers all 6,000+ drugs available. Monthly Premiums for Stand alone plans are $37.90 for RLH Medicare Script Plan, and $48.10 for the Enhanced options. We recommend the Blue Cross Blue Shield MedAdvantage plan WITH the Script Cards included..  It costs $50/month for the Medical coverage alone, or $82/month if you add the RLH Medicare Script Plan.  There is an enhanced option that brings the cost to $91.50/month. With RLH Medicare Script, you pay only a share of your prescription medication costs. Medicare pays us a monthly amount to help pay for your coverage. With RLH Medicare Script, you’ll have: Affordable monthly rates Choice of pharmacies nationwide Mail-order service Tiered prescription drug benefits   RLH Medicare Script RLH Medicare Script Enhanced Deductible* $265 $0 Tier 1: Copay for generic medications $5 $5 Tier 2: Copay for preferred brand-name medications $18 $25 Tier 3: Copay for non-preferred brand-name medications $35 $50 Tier 4**: Coinsurance for specialty medications 25% 25% Tier 5**: Coinsurance for miscellaneous injectables 25% 25%   *Once the deductible is met, you pay copayments or coinsurance. **Tier 4 and 5 products are limited to a 30-day supply and may contain generic products. Significant savings Even if you are not currently taking prescription medications, it’s a good idea to think about your future needs. As a RLH Medicare Script member, you could save as much as 41 percent on your prescriptions! Here’s an example of what prescription drugs cost, and what they are projected to cost for those who enroll in a Part D plan. Out-of-pocket prescription costs projected for Part D participants in 2006*   Annual out-of-pocket spending   You will save: Health status: No drug coverage: With Part D drug coverage: Excellent/Very Good $933 $611 $322 Good $1,297 $808 $489 Fair $1,590 $1,080 $510 Poor $1,956 $1,154 $802 *Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/medicare/7201.cfm, November 2004 The projected annual increase in prescription drug spending through 2013 is nearly 11 percent. Enrollment and Eligibility Dates If you have recently become, or soon will be, eligible for Medicare: There is a seven-month enrollment period when you turn 65 or join Medicare by reason of disability at any age. This is called your Initial Election Coverage Period (IECP). You can enroll in a Part D Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) during this time. The seven-month period begins three months before your Medicare coverage starts, and includes the month of, and the three months after it starts. If you are currently on Medicare The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is November 15 to December 31. During this time, you can enroll in a Prescription Drug Plan and your coverage will start January 1. Once you enroll in a plan it is effective until January 1 of the following year. Your next opportunity to change or enroll will be the Annual Election Period (AEP) from November 15 to December 31, for a January 1 effective date. Planning to enroll later? It could cost you extra To avoid paying extra for your prescription drug plan, you’ll need to enroll as soon as you’re eligible. How much more depends on how long you wait to enroll. To calculate your penalty, Medicare uses the following information: The monthly Part D base premium established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (not the rate you pay to your health plan). For 2007, that base premium is $27.35. The number of months you waited to enroll after you became eligible. A 1% of premium late enrollment penalty percentage. Medicare takes the number of months you waited to enroll after you became eligible, multiplied by the 1% of premium late enrollment penalty percentage. The resulting percentage amount is added to your monthly rate. For example, if you wait 12 months to enroll, you'd pay an extra $2.28 each month for your coverage ($27.35 x 12% = $2.28). Keep in mind that the base prescription premium can increase each year, so your penalty amount can increase with it. That's why it pays to enroll right away! You must pay this penalty as long as you have Medicare prescription drug coverage.