How to Pick a Medicare Part D Plan Online

Many senior citizens are computer savvy, but for those who aren’t, grab a friend, child or grandchild and get online. When it comes to choosing a Medicare plan, you can accomplish a lot on the Internet without having to talk to an operator or wait on hold.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer and Internet access
• A list of all medications you are currently taking
• Your zip code, age range and health status
• A list of pharmacies at which you prefer to shop

1. Prepare a list of all the medications you are currently taking, organized by drug name, strength and quantity of pills/tablets you take each month.
2. Visit the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder website (see link below) and click “Begin General Search.”
3. Fill out the forms requested including your zip code, age range, health status and whether you have prescription drug coverage or health insurance, then click “Continue.”
4. Read the summary that appears on the screen and if everything is correct, click “Continue.”
5. When the “Find and Compare Plans” page appears (with two blue boxes) click “Enter My Drugs” in the box on the left. Type in each drug name, or search for your drugs alphabetically. Each should appear in a blue box below entitled “My Drug List.” When you are finished, click “Continue.”
6. Now you will have the option to enter the quantity, or number of days supply, you receive of each drug per month. When you are finished, click “Continue.”
7. If you wish to save your drug list and access it again in the future, follow the directions to create a security password on the screen. If not, click “Skip this Step.”
8. If you use a specific pharmacy, select “Yes” to the question, “Do you want to select a specific pharmacy or pharmacies from which you prefer to purchase your drugs?” If not, select “No,” click “Continue,” and skip to Step 10.
9. A list of pharmacies within half a mile of your zip code will appear on the screen. Select the ones you prefer to shop at, then click “Continue.”
10. Finally, a list of recommended Medicare plans will appear on your screen. They should be organized by Plan Name, Estimated Annual Cost, Monthly Drug Premium, Annual Deductible and other details. Click on each to read up on their benefits and when you have found one that best fits your needs, click “Enroll.” The following pages will summarize your plan, let you know what date your enrollment will be effective and collect more personal information to finalize the process.

Tips & Warnings

• Anyone can change their Medicare Part D plan between November 15 and December 31 of every year.
• In special circumstances, Medicare may give you an opportunity to switch to another plan. For example, if you permanently move out of your plan’s service area; if you qualify for extra help paying for prescription drugs; if the plan stops offering prescription drug coverage; or if you enter, live in, or leave a nursing home.
• If you are eligible for a Medicare Advantage Plan you can join or switch Medicare Advantage Plans from January 1 to March 31 of every year, but you can’t join or drop Medicare prescription drug coverage during this time. For instance, if you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription drug coverage, you could return to the Original Medicare Plan but you’d have to also join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan at the same time.