John Ranalletta Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 So, both of us have used Humana's Part D coverage through our local WalMart pharmacy. It all works pretty well. This year, we received notices from Medicare that our plan premiums are to double. Quote JOHN, The premium for your current Medicare drug plan, Humana Walmart Rx Plan (PDP), will increase from $26.30 to $55.10 in 2020 in 2020. Take advantage of Open Enrollment until December 7, 2019 to compare numerous other Medicare drug plans and see if there's a better fit for your needs and budget. Using the very well done Medicare website, we compared plans to find two plans with identical coverage but significantly different costs. We compared Humana WalMart plans on the Medicare website to find we can enroll in a less expensive plan (ca. $1000/yr) with the same drug coverage at the same pharmacy. Confused, I called Humana to ask about the differences and got a well-rehearsed spiel that ended with, "...and if you don't do anything,, your premiums are increasing." It perhaps is a bit deceptive that Humana will slide participants into a higher "Premier" premium bracket if participants aren't proactive in seeking options. If you're on Medicare or helping someone who is, log in, provide your location and your drug list to see all your options. The system will show your current plan and all plans in your area. The data is saved from session to session. Link to comment
Oldrider51 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 I assume that you have original Medicare and then the Part d Drug Plan, so have you looked into a Medicare Part C plans (Medicare Advantage) with a drug plan? Sometimes these can be less expensive as long as your required drugs are covered. I do not need a drug plan and now if I want to get on I would pay a delayed enrollment cost of $13.60///month, so I will continue without it and probably never sign up. Link to comment
John Ranalletta Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 Have not considered Part C as I never got clarity on out-of-network coverage. Also, some Part C providers are very restrictive re: diabetes supplies in that they specify which glucose monitors are supported, e.g. Anthem does not support (pay for) Meditronic supplies and since my wife's GC monitor and insulin pump are sync'd, that's a deal breaker. Diabetes supplies and insulin are covered under original Medicare, not part D. Link to comment
John Ranalletta Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 Why the health care industry, including insurers will sue to stop pricing visibility. We compared 3 plans offered by Mutual of Omaha, Humana and Anthem. Each of the plans uses the same Walmart pharmacy as the preferred drug distributor (PDP). Notice the difference in prices, especially for drug A.. The cost of drug A to Anthem is $3,496; Humana $6,477 and Omaha, $7,202.87. Wow. Does Anthem really pay WalMart 2x as much as Mutual of Omaha for the same drug? I doubt it. And, how is the company that pays the most for the drug able to provide the drug after deductible for only $2? Something's fishy. This is all made up shit geared to be as confusing as possible for enrollees. Either that or Anthem and Humana are sucker plays. Estimated annual cost per year for the 8 drugs including monthly premium varies widely: Humana $10,398.93 Anthem $6,725.07 MofOmaha $4,492.58 Insurers are lovin' Medicare for All! In a side note, insulin is provided through basic medicare, not part D. The last statement we got showed the government paying around $250/bottle. A local guy calls pharmacies in Windsor, CA where insulin is not a prescription drug. He travels to Windsor and buys 18 bottles at $30/bottle to last him through the winter!!!!!!!!!!! Medicare should buy insulin from Canada. Welcome to Medicare for All! 2 Link to comment
Bud Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 Recently read an article in the WSJ about the proposed changes to make costs more transparent. The medical providers are spending millions in lobbying to insure that doesn't happen. Says it will cause "confusion" for patients!! They think we are dumber than a box of rocks. 1 Link to comment
John Ranalletta Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Oy vey... Medicare Drug Plan Finder Can Steer Seniors to Higher Costs Link to comment
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