Online Tools to Shop for Part D Coverage

It is interesting to hear younger people talk about how hard it is to choose health insurance plans. They’re right. Evaluating all the intricacies of multiple plans can at times be a significant challenge. That’s why Medicare beneficiaries are incredibly fortunate. We have easy-to-use tools and real people to help us compare choices and select the Part D plan that’s right for us.A quick visit to the Medicare Plan Finder website is all you need to get started using the tools that are available to compare plans. So, if you are thinking about reviewing your Medicare Part D plan options now that it is open season – and you really should be thinking about it – here are some easy steps to follow.Begin by making a list of the medicines you take and the dosage. Next, decide whether you want to get most of your medicines, especially the ones you take regularly, by mail or at a local pharmacy. With that information, a laptop or tablet computer, a phone, and your Medicare card, you are ready to go.Once on the Medicare Plan Finder website, you will be asked if you want to look broadly at all of the plans available in your area or do a more personalized search which requires providing your name, Zip Code, Medicare Number, date of birth, and the year your Medicare coverage became effective. All of that information can be found on your Medicare card. If you or someone searching for you has never put in your information before, you should use the General Search option.Continuing with the General Search, you next have to provide some information about yourself and your income and Medicare status as well as the list medicines you take and their dosage. All of this is necessary to help narrow down the list to plans that are right for you.If you have searched for coverage before, it’s even easier. Simply choose the Personalized Search option and it will automatically reflect the information you provided the last time you compared plans. It will also give you the chance to update the information with any changes or additions.From that point on, just follow the directions on the screen until you have a number of choices that you are comfortable working with, or in some cases, a single choice that best meets your needs. You can always go back and change the search data to get more or fewer choices.But the best news is that if you need help or have questions, -- day or night, weekday or weekends -- you can call 1-800-MEDICARE or 1-800-633-4227 and speak to a live person. They’re available anytime except federal holidays.Watch the blog for more information this week about the resources available to you if you’d rather not search for a plan online. In the meantime, let me know what your experience has been like with the online tools – both good and bad.