My Part D USA

AS MANY OF YOU HAVE READ IN THE NEWS, MORE AND MORE COMPANIES AND UNIONS ARE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO COVER RETIREE HEALTHCARE AND DRUG BENEFITS!

We have recently heard that the UAW is canceling spousal benefits beginning Oct. 1, 2009.  This means that there will be many people trying to find answers to questions about what to do, what kind of coverage under Medicare should they enroll in and what drug plan will save them the most money and cover all their medications.

My Part D USA has helped thousands of people all over the country from many different companies and unions get comparisons of plans, so that you can understand the REAL QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK AND NOT FEEL “SOLD TO”!!

1.  WHAT DOES MEDICARE COVER?

When you lose your employer coverage and need to get on Medicare, you will join Part A & B for all your doctor and hospital coverage.  This will cover ONLY 80% of those costs.  That is why you will need to get a Medicare Supplement/Medigap plan.  There are many plans out there.  They are all regulated by Medicare, ALL THE BENEFITS ON THE PLANS ARE THE SAME.  A PLAN F FROM ONE COMPANY IS THE SAME AS A PLAN F FROM ANOTHER COMPANY! The only difference is the premium cost you will pay each month.  Some companies will charge you a higher rate than another company.  What you need is a comparison of plans.

2.  WHAT ABOUT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS?

We do not recommend Medicare Advantage Plans.  They are going to be changing and many of the companies that sold them are getting out of the business.  Some Medicare Advantage Plans have gone up so high on their premiums, that it does not make any sense at all to pay the same as a Medigap plan for inferior coverage.  You can read more about the MA plans in the category section on the left side of this blog.

3.  How do we know which drug plan will be best for us?

There are over 50 different plans in every state to choose from.  All the plans have different prices and drugs they cover.  YOU MUST GET A COMPARISON USING YOUR MEDICATIONS!

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS GO TO WWW.MYPARTDUSA.COM OR GO TO THE TOP OF THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE BLOG AND CLICK ON THE WEBSITE NAME.  THERE, YOU CAN FILL OUT A FORM TELLING US YOUR SITUATION.  EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT ISSUES THEY NEED HELP WITH…..READ OUR TESTIMONIALS! SOMEONE WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITH YOUR COMPARISONS.

During the AEP, or Annual Election Period of each year Nov. 15th through Dec. 31st of each year, you will need a NEW comparison to make sure your drug plan is still going to cover your drugs at the lowest prices.  YOU WILL NOT NEED TO CHANGE YOUR MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT EACH YEAR, AS THE BENEFITS REMAIN THE SAME!

THE DRUG PLAN COMPARISONS WILL BE LIVE ONLINE FOR YOU DURING THE AEP EACH YEAR AND ENROLLMENT IS EASY AND QUIK ONLINE AT MY PART D USA.

As you all know, many people who hit the “dreaded donut hole” STOP taking their needed medications because they cannot afford to pay the full retail price.  Have you ever heard the saying “SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST”?  It seems to me the drug and insurance companies are changing this old saying to “SURVIVAL OF THE RICHEST”!!!

• exit wounds download free cheaper by the dozen 2

I have written about buying your generics off your drug plan for a long time now.  I have seen this getting out in mainstream news and am very glad for it.  People need to begin each new year using this tactic to stay out of the donut hole for as long as possible.  If you only use your drug plan for medication that is not available in generic form, you will have more in your pot to pay for them.  If you file every generic purchase on your drug plan, all this adds UP!  The amount the drug plan applies toward your $2,700 is the retail price of the generic, not the smaller co-pay amounts.  Even though you may be paying only $4 for a 30 day supply of a generic, your drug plan may be actually adding $20, 30 or 40 to your falling into the donut hole.

Please read my other blogs about drug savings tips and donut hole help on the left side of this blog.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: To the world you may be only one person, but to one person you may be the world!

FROM JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31ST

OF EVERY YEAR IS THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR LIKE TO LIKE PLANS.  THIS MEANS THAT YOU CAN SWITCH FROM A MEDIGAP PLAN WITH A STAND ALONE PDP TO A (MAPD) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS INCLUDED.  YOU CAN ALSO SWITCH BETWEEN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS OR CANCEL YOUR MAPD TO GO BACK TO A MEDIGAP PLAN WITH A STAND ALONE PDP.

THIS TIME OF YEAR YOU MAY BE BOMBARDED WITH ADVERTISEMENTS ON TV AND MAIL TELLING YOU THAT THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS COVER MORE THAN ORIGINAL MEDICARE.  WELL, IT MAY HAVE A FEW LITTLE THINGS SUCH AS VERY, VERY LIMITED DENTAL COVERAGE, BUT THEY DO NOT COMPARE THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS AGAINST MEDIGAP PLANS/MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS.  THEY KNOW THEY COULD NOT HOLD A CANDLE TO THAT COMPARISON.  IT SOUNDS GOOD ON TV, BUT BEWARE…..MAPD’S DO NOT HAVE NEAR THE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE PROVIDED BY YOUR MEDIGAP PLAN.

SOME DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS WILL NOT ACCEPT THE TERMS OF PAYMENT

FROM THE MAPD’S.  YOUR DOCTOR COULD ACCEPT YOUR COVERAGE AT ONE VISIT AND DECIDE NOT TO ACCEPT IT AT THE NEXT APPOINTMENT.  THERE IS NO GUARANTEED NETWORK OF DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS PROVIDED FOR YOU IN THE MAPD’S.  WITH A MEDIGAP PLAN YOU CAN GO TO ANY DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL OF YOUR CHOICE WITH NO WORRIES.

ALSO, THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE WITH AN MAPD IS ALMOST ALWAYS INFERIOR TO CHOOSING A STAND ALONE DRUG PLAN.  THE FORMULARIES DO NOT COVER AS MANY DRUGS AND THEIR CO-PAYS ARE HIGHER.  WHEN YOU CAN CHOOSE A DRUG PLAN BASED ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL MEDICATIONS AND FIND THE LOWEST CO-PAYS WHY WOULD YOU TAKE A PLAN YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER?

THE ONLY PEOPLE WE RECOMMEND MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS TO ARE THOSE THAT ARE ON DISABILITY OR THOSE THAT CANNOT GET ANY OTHER TYPE OF COVERAGE DUE TO HEALTH REASONS .  ALSO THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT CAN ABSOLUTELY NOT AFFORD THE PREMIUMS ON A MEDIGAP PLAN AND THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN WOULD BE BETTER THAN NOTHING AT ALL IN SOME CASES.  HOWEVER, MANY OF THE MAPD’S HAVE GONE UP ON THEIR RATES AND SOME OF THEM ARE AS HIGH IN PREMIUM AS A MEDIGAP PLAN NOW.  PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU THINK YOU WANT TO JOIN AN MAPD THAT YOU ALSO COMPARE PREMIUM PRICES ON A MEDIGAP PLAN.  IT WOULD BE VERY UNFORTUNATE TO BE PAYING THE SAME AMOUNT FOR AN INFERIOR COVERAGE PLAN.

I AM ALWAYS VERY ENTERTAINED BY THE TV COMMERCIALS FOR MEDICARE COVERAGE.  I GUESS THAT IS BECAUSE I CAN READ BETWEEN THE LINES AND SEE WHAT INFORMATION THEY ARE DELIBERATELY LEAVING OUT OR HOW THEY ARE SPINNING THE BENEFITS THEY OFFER TO SOUND SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.  IF I DIDN’T KNOW BETTER, I MIGHT CONSIDER THEM AS WELL.  THAT IS WHY I WANTED TO WARN YOU ALL ABOUT THE HURRICANE A’COMMIN’ DOWN THE PIKE.  I CAN HEAR THE WINDS AND SEE THE RAIN.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SOMETHING YOU WERE TOLD OR HEARD ON TV, PLEASE WRITE ME AND I CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE TRUE MEANING.  TAKE CARE!  KARYN

I was just interviewed by Gerri Willis on CNN.  She asked me many questions about Medicare and how we have been working with the General Motors retirees that are losing thier health care beneifts through the company. download return to house on haunted hill movie download more to love movie

This should air either this Saturday or the next.  I will let you know as soon as I find out, so maybe you can watch me.  I don’t know if I can watch me!!!  HA!  So you all will have to tell me about it.

download dr dolittle 2 free

Last Monday we had an article with a mention of My Part D USA in the New York Times!!!  WOW!  I hope that many more people will find out about the BLOG from that and will use us as a resource for Medicare information. 

If anyone sees us in a paper where you live, please write and let me know. hitcher ii i ve been waiting the divx movie online

• Puppet Masters, The movie download

Thanks,  Karyn

DEAR READERS:

AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN WARNING YOU ALL ALONG ABOUT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS AND THEY AGGRESSIVE WAY THEY ARE MARKETED.  I RECEIVED NEWLETTERS FROM THE MEDICARE RIGHTS CENTER AND GOT THIS NEW MESSAGE TODAY.  I HAVE TOLD YOU IN THE PAST THAT THE REASON SALESPEOPLE TRY TO ENROLL PEOPLE ON THESE TYPE PLANS, INSTEAD OF WHAT MOST PEOPLE NEED, A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP POLICY AND A STAND ALONE PART D DRUG PLAN, IS THE INCREDIBLY HIGH COMMISSION THEY GET PAID FOR DOING SO!  I HAVE EVEN BEEN THREATENED FOR TELLING YOU THIS BY SOME SALESPEOPLE THAT SELL ADVANTAGE PLANS. 

SOME PEOPLE DO NEED THESE PLANS BECAUSE THEY ARE ON DISABILITY AND CANNOT GET ANY OTHER KIND OF COVERAGE.  OTHERS JUST CANNOT AFFORD THE PREMIUM ON A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP PLAN.  THOSE ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WE RECOMMEND TO ENROLL ON THESE PLANS AND THEN WE GO OVER IT AND OVER IT, SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF COVERAGE THEY HAVE AND UNDERSTAND THE TERMS OF PAYMENT FROM THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN. 

THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT NEED MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS!  THAT IS WHY I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SOME SALESPEOPLE TRY TO GET THOSE THAT DON’T NEED A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN AND REALLY SHOULD NOT BE ON ONE, FOR THIER BEST COVERAGE OPTION, TO JOIN THESE PLANS.  AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU CAN DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR PEOPLE AND STILL MAKE A LIVING! 

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

Asclepios – Your Weekly Medicare Consumer Advocacy Update Medicare Advantage Commissions – October 23, 2008; Volume 8, Issue 43

download dragonheart online london voodoo divx download

Recent reports indicate that some of the major national Medicare private health plans are going to pay independent agents $500-plus per year over five years, $2,500 in total—for every new enrollee in their “Medicare Advantage” plans. The new totals are at least double the top commissions typically paid over the last couple of years a period when people with Medicare were regularly victimized by predatory agents looking to make a quick buck. Older adults and people with disabilities were bullied or tricked into Medicare private health plans that no longer allowed them to see their doctors or that stuck them with high out-of-pocket costs when they fell ill.

These new commissions are an attempt by some of the major plans to undermine efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to restrain commissions and in particular to eliminate incentives for agents to “churn” move customers from plan to plan just to earn commissions. Many agents believe that these higher commissions actually increase incentives to churn.

• • divx hitchhiker s guide to the galaxy the

CMS should not allow Medicare Advantage plans to pay these commissions. The agency has broad authority, under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, to establish commission guidelines that create “incentives for agents and brokers to enroll individuals in the Medicare Advantage plan that is intended to best meet their health care needs.”

There should be no incentive to move someone from one Medicare Advantage plan to another just to earn a higher commission.  There should be no incentive to move someone from a Medigap supplemental plan to a Medicare Advantage plan just to earn a higher commission.

With those twin goals in mind, CMS should establish a cap on commissions consistent with existing requirements to pay level commissions over 5 years, starting with the 2009 plan year. The cap should be set at a level that approximates current renewal rates for Medicare Advantage enrollments made in 2007 and 2008. And it should approximate Medigap renewal rates for a healthy 66-year-old, the low-cost consumer that Medicare Advantage plans target for enrollment.  With those parameters, commissions would be capped at well under half the rates Medicare Advantage plans are now proposing to pay

Remember, Medicare Advantage plans are paying these commissions out of subsidies they receive from taxpayers. It is outrageous that any of these subsidies, which are supposed to pay for the health care of older adults and people with disabilities, are diverted to pay commissions to enroll people with Medicare in plans that cost taxpayers more money, $150 billion over the next ten years than it costs to provide care under Original Medicare.

IT WOULD BE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO GO TO WWW.MEDICARERIGHTS.COM AND SIGN UP FOR THEIR NEWSLETTERS, SO THAT YOU TOO, CAN BE INFORMED FROM ANOTHER UNBIASED SOURCE FOR YOUR MEDICARE INFORMATION.

I have found more large retailers that have a list of Generics for $4.

Giant Eagle,  Kmart,  Kroger,  Schnucks,  Target,  Walmart/Sams Club,  Wegmans

I can send you the link for these lists if you cannot find it online yourself.  You can google the store name and find it on their websites.

This is going to help you out so much in 2009.   If you begin January 1, 2009 buying your generics OFF YOUR DRUG PLAN, you will not go into the “dreaded donut hole” as quickly in 2009.  Now wouldn’t that just be fantastic???  Do not show the pharmacy your drug plan card and tell them this is NOT to be applied to your drug plan.  Some people go to one store to buy their generics, and go to another one to use their drug card, just to avoid confusion.

For those of you who get to the other side of the donut hole and get 95% coverage, you DO NOT WANT TO FOLLOW THIS PIECE OF ADVICE.  YOU NEED TO GET TO THE 95% COVERAGE ASAP!!

Even though you are paying the generic co-pays on your Part D Drug Plan, the Drug Plan dings you a much higher retail price that goes toward your falling into the donut hole!  So, you can see how that could keep you out of the donut hole so very much longer and then you will have more money in the pot to pay for your really expensive medications. 

A very important

watch zodiac the in divx

• download macross divx

part of getting your comparison done correctly and accurately is to be sure you have the GENERIC name of your brand name drugs, if you are actually taking the generic form.

For instance, you may have always referred to your prescription by the brand name such as Lasix, but you take the generic form called Furosemide. You must give the generic name for your comparison to be beneficial to you.

My suggestion is to make a list using your prescription bottles to get the correct spelling of your medications. If the name is abreviated and you don’t understand what it is, call your pharmacy and ask. This will insure you recieve the most accurate comparison and you will save the most money on your prescriptions.

When you go to our website, www.MyPartDusa.com, November 15th thru December 31st you can enter in the names of your medications. If you misspell them or there is a question you can click on the drug name and a pull down box with the drug names will appear for you to select the correct name. This will help you make sure that you are giving us the exact drug name you need to compare.