Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder: Fill & Download for Free

Assuming you worked and paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters during your time in the work force, Part A (Hospital Insurance) is premium-free for you.Your Part B premium (Supplemental Medicare Insurance) is $134/month at the standard level in 2017, and may be more or less depending on your income level.If you opt-in to Part C (Medicare Advantage), where your benefits will be provided by a private insurer, you may have a premium to pay depending on the level of coverage you select.Also, you’ll want to enroll in a Part D (prescription drug coverage) plan, and you’ll want to use the Plan Finder on Medicare’s website in order to locate a plan that provides the best coverage for your prescriptions.More information can be found on Medicare’s website at: Medicare 2017 costs at a glance.

It will depend on the state you live in. In my insurance experience I have worked for organizations that offer plans that meet the federal requirements to avoid penalty with $0 premiums. In that case the plans were Medicare Advantage aka Part C but they included prescription drug coverage. Just keep in mind that a plan with lower premiums will have higher out of pocket costs. If you don't take any medications and are willing to pay a deductible if, at some point in the year, you need medication, then there are options in most states with premiums under $20 per month.If you aren't simply cost conscious and you actually can't afford your premiums, I suggest contacting Medicare directly at 1–800 MEDICARE or visit Extra Help With Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs to apply for “extra help” (Low Income Subsidy).Check out Costs for Medicare drug coverage for more information about costs and Medicare Plan Finder to find a plan available in your state.

The Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ is thanks to former President George W. Bush and Medicare Modernization Act. It is currently being phased out, thanks to President Obama and the Affordable Care Act.There is a program called Medicare Extra Help, which eliminates the donut hole and helps lower Medicare drug costs for those who qualify. For more information and to apply see: Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan CostsMedicare open enrollment is coming up soon. It starts October 15th and runs until December 7th. Different plans have different drug formularies. If you have regular prescriptions that you take, you should take shop around to see if you can get a plan that offers a better price and switch. You can use the Medicare Plan Finder to compare your options. Medicare Plan Finder