Does anyone not have the part D supplement?

Ruth n Jersey

Ruth n Jersey

Well-known Member
Location
Northern New Jersey
I foolishly did not add medicare part D to my AARP insurance when I was eligible. I am 70, and so far, have not needed any meds. The couple I needed, such as antibiotics now and then have been reasonably priced. My husband can get the few he takes from the VA but just gets them from Walmart because they are reasonable also. I knew there was a penalty, but thought it was a one time deal. Didn't realize it was monthly and gets higher as time goes by.. Does anyone else not have it and now feel a bit uneasy about it? I know of several people who have it and still have huge drug bills because of the doughnut hole or the plan they chose no longer covers the drug they need. Your thoughts would be appreciated,although there isn't much I can do about it now. The key to all this is research all the options, sadly I did not.
 

I have it, but so far most of my medications end up being cheaper getting them WITHOUT insurance than with. For instance, with insurance, my generics are $8 a month. I can get all but one of them at Walmart for $10 for THREE months. I'm afraid to go without it, though, because what if I get a condition that requires really, really expensive medicine? You know, the type that requires medications that cost $3000 a month and with insurance I'd only pay, say, $65?
 
That's exactly what I should have thought of,jujube. You are a smart lady. I can only hope I don't get in that position.
 

Butterfly said:
So Ruth, how much is the penalty you're facing? It might just be worth it to fork it over. If you get into expensive meds, Part D can save you a whole heck of a lot, even with the Medicare donut hole.
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My penalty would be almost $20.00 more a month. Total just for part D would be about $52.00 a month. I am really thinking about it just for peace of mind.
 
Yes, Butterfly, My husband and I have AARP supplement. For the two of us $317.00 a month. Hate to give that up. We have used it several times and they paid everything. No hassle.
 
Part D is like any other insurance....it's a waste of money UNTIL you need it. Going without is a gamble, and eventually lack of insurance catches up with most people. It would probably be a good idea to start shopping Before you have an illness that might require some of these grossly overpriced drugs.
 
Don M. said:
Part D is like any other insurance....it's a waste of money UNTIL you need it. Going without is a gamble, and eventually lack of insurance catches up with most people. It would probably be a good idea to start shopping Before you have an illness that might require some of these grossly overpriced drugs.
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Nobody tells you this, you MUST sign up for part D at 65 or pay a penalty later!!
 
I am taking about 5 medications for a heart condition. My Medicare card that I received last month said I have Medicare A & B and the person at SSA said I'd be getting a bill for part B but I haven't received. Any suggestions?
 
Scooter848001 said:
I am taking about 5 medications for a heart condition. My Medicare card that I received last month said I have Medicare A & B and the person at SSA said I'd be getting a bill for part B but I haven't received. Any suggestions?
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Call 'em (Medicare) up and ask 'em. You have to be proactive and advocate for yourself or you might end up in a big fat mess. AND, don't take anybody but Medicare's word for what is and what isn't -- anybody can tell you anything, but Medicare is the one that decides, and it's their decision that will impact you. Medicare and Social Security are pretty easy to deal with over the phone at the 800 number.

As to the Medicare premium, before I actually took Social Security, I got a bill and had to pay it every month. After I started getting Social Security benefits (retirement), they just took it out of my benefit amount.
 
Scooter848001 said:
I am taking about 5 medications for a heart condition. My Medicare card that I received last month said I have Medicare A & B and the person at SSA said I'd be getting a bill for part B but I haven't received. Any suggestions?
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Nobody tells you this, you MUST sign up for part D at 65 or pay a penalty later!!
 
There's nothing like peace of mind fellow Jerseyan. Do what will allow you to feel secure and sleep better at night. Insurance is definitely an "in case" thing. My husband has medicare but still opts to get his medication from Walmart.
 
I originally did not take our a Part D but later added it with the monthly penalty for not having it originally. I don't take much in the way of medications so didn't figure I needed Part D but I changed my mind after getting a couple prescriptions filled. What I ran in to was that somewhere along the way the pharmacies started charging folks that didn't have some kind of insurance about 3 to 5 times more. So some little prescription that I had gotten a few years earlier without insurance for $20 or so was now over a $100. Someone on this forum recently mentioned GoodRX as an alternative and if I had known about that I might have tried just getting by with that and not getting the Part D. But since I have Part D I will probably just keep it. What is interesting is that my Part D insurance company sends a lot of paper work showing what I've used, what it cost, what the retail cost would have been, etc and it seems to me that there is a lot of "double pricing" going on. I see signs of that in some of the medical bills I get concerning Medicare B covered items as well. It's like there are two prices, one for folks with some type of insurance cover and then another price that is outrageously jacked up by multiple orders for folks that don't.
Don M. said:
Part D is like any other insurance....it's a waste of money UNTIL you need it. Going without is a gamble, and eventually lack of insurance catches up with most people. It would probably be a good idea to start shopping Before you have an illness that might require some of these grossly overpriced drugs.
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Not eligible yet but plan to sign up for it when the time comes. Will probably go for the cheapest plan available just to have something. Like many here, the only drug I take cost little to nothing due to generic status.......but all heck might break loose later on. That's why you get it.
 
It came with my Advantage Plan also although I don't need it for my medications now. I take two prescriptions that cost $8 each a month. But, I would rather be "safe than sorry" because later on I might need it.
 
That's why hubby and I have part D plans. Right now, both of us will not meet the deductible with what we take.. However, there is no guarantee that we won't be put on more medications and will need the plan. However, as of now.. we pay the premiums AND we pay for our own medication... Kinda sucks.
 
Ken N Tx said:
Nobody tells you this, you MUST sign up for part D at 65 or pay a penalty later!!
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There are exceptions, Ken.

Creditable drug coverage from Medicare website:
partD.gif

You will get a letter every year from your provider saying that you have creditable coverage, if that's what you have. If you later switch to part D there is no penalty.
 
NancyNGA said:
There are exceptions, Ken.

Creditable drug coverage from Medicare website:
View attachment 34250

You will get a letter every year from your provider saying that you have creditable coverage, if that's what you have. If you later switch to part D there is no penalty.
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Correct. MY husband has been covered for 12 years under my employer plan. He will have parts B and D (and plan G) beginning next year with no penalty.
 
Our firm sent me a letter stating our prescription coverage was NOT creditable... but I didn't read it! Found it our 1 year too late and will always pay a penalty. My error. I understand why the penalty. If one did not take Part D until you needed it, the insurance companies would lose money big time. That would be like waiting till you had a heart attack or cancer before buying health insurance. The thing that is aggravating is the creditable/non-creditable. I had/have excellent prescription coverage with our firm's health plan. Yet, because of this creditable/non-creditable definition, I will be penalized.
 
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