Entries for November 2009

Shopping around for best Part D could save money By Guy Boulton of the Journal Sentinel       The average monthly premium for a Medicare prescription drug plan will increase 11% next year - and it has increased 50% nationally since 2006. Those figures make clear why shopping for the best Medicare Part D plan shoul...

By Shelia M. Poole The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Esther Notrica dreads this time of year when she must review dozens of Medicare prescription drug plans to figure out which one works best for her.   “It’s very complicated,” said Notrica, a 74-year-old Buckhead retiree, who takes 12 medications daily for high blood pressure, d...

Source: New York Times Editorial The drug industry has been ramping up its prices in advance of any health care reforms that might clamp down on its profits. The industry’s rapid price escalation over the past year threatens to make a mockery of its deal with the Senate Finance Committee and the Obama administration to contribute $80 billion over ...

Seniors are likely to see Medicare insurance costs rise, benefits fall  Review options during enrollment, experts advise For next year, 67-year-old Anna Nickerson plans to stick with a HealthSpring private Medicare plan for medical and prescription drug coverage, preferring to ignore a heated marketing battle as rival health plan...

By Debra Pressey Prices are going up on Medicare Part D prescription drug plans next year, so enrollees are being advised to shop around as open enrollment begins next week. "I don't think anybody is going to see their cost go down," says Cheryl Matheis, AARP's senior vice president for health strategy. Oftentimes people who feel they'r...

The Wall Street Journal (11/16, Zhang) reports that the average premiums Medicare beneficiaries will pay for stand-alone drug plans will increase 11% to $38.94 per month in 2010, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. Individuals receiving drug coverage through Medicare Advantage plans will see even more changes, and their averag...

 Monthly premiums for stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plans (PDPs), which are part of Medicare Part D, will rise an average of 11 percent to $38.94, according to a report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. This means that since 2006, the first year that Medicare Part D drug benefits were offered to seniors, the cost has risen by ...