If you are enrolled in Original Medicare, you can purchase separate prescription drug coverage. This coverage is sold through Medicare via Part D of the program. People who are seeking Part D coverage should keep reading.
Enrolling in Part D Coverage
You can only enroll, disenroll, or make changes to a Part D prescription drug plan during pre-determined enrollment periods. There are several enrollment periods you can use to get started, including:
Initial Enrollment Period
The Initial Enrollment Period begins 3 months before your 65th birthday and ends 3 months later. Your birth month is included in this period, meaning you have a total of 7 months to enroll. If you enroll in an Advantage plan during this time, you won’t have to worry about late enrollment penalties.
Annual Enrollment Period
The Annual Enrollment Period occurs every year between October 15 and December 7. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during this time, your coverage will start on January 1. You can also use this time to switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare or switch from one Advantage plan to another. If you need to make changes to a Part D prescription drug plan, you can do that during Annual Enrollment as well.
What Does Part D Cover?
Part D prescription drug plans provide coverage for a list of medications. The drugs that are covered will be listed within the plan’s formulary. The formulary will also contain pricing information for covered medications.
All Part D plans are required to cover several classes of drugs. The required medications include:
- HIV/AIDS treatments.
- Antidepressants.
- Antipsychotic medications.
- Anticonvulsive treatments for seizure disorders.
- Immunosuppressant drugs.
- Anticancer drugs (unless covered by Part B)
Find Part D Coverage Today!
Finding the right Part D plan can be difficult to do on your own. So, get help! Just give Peritia Advisors a call at 319-200-5050 to get started with a consultation.
