5 Tips to Choosing the Best Medicare Plan

5 Tips to Choosing the Best Medicare Plan

With the open registration season for Medicare plans having started on the 15th of October, the time to choose a new 2016 Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan is now. The registration is only open until the 7th of December, so time is most certainly of the essence. To help you make the best healthcare choices possible, here are five tips that will make your experience much easier.

1.) Get to know the MedicareHelp.org’s website

Medicare.gov is a powerful tool, and it can help you find the best deals for your particular medical needs. However, it can also be very confusing, with a host of different buttons, options, and menus. Medicare Help’s platform keeps it simple, where you can see all your available plans and your costs on one screen.  And we provide the same information that Medicare.gov offers.  MedicareHelp.org could be useful in your search for the cheapest healthcare.

2.) Know your drugs

There are many factors that could affect your payment with regard to your drugs. Their dosages, particular restrictions surrounding them (such as requiring prior authorization or step-up therapy), co-payments (flat payments that could drastically increase the cost of your plan), or a myriad of other factors could all change your plan. Make sure you know everything about your drug(s) before attempting to choose a 2022 Medicare Part D plan. The different combinations of drugs, dosages, pharmacies, regions, and more all affect the cost outcome. Finding the right 2023 Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for you personal health combination accurately could save you hundreds of dollars.

3.) Look at the quality ratings

Each plan has a unique rating, from zero stars to five stars. This rating is drawn up based on a number of factors, including previous customer satisfaction and the overall value of the plan. Plans that receive ratings of 4 star plan or above are given money by the government to spend on the healthcare of members of that plan, so plans with these ratings are likely to be very cost-efficient.

4.) Be willing to change pharmacies

Similar to the list of preferred drugs, the list of preferred pharmacies changes each year, and your local best pharmacy that you have been using for years may not be cheaper than its competition down the street. Don’t miss out on significant savings simply because you won’t change pharmacies.

5.) Do your research every year

Just because the drug that you are on this year is on the list of preferred medications this year does not mean that it will also be on the list for next year. Checking up every year will ensure that you make the most informed decision possible. On the Medicare.gov website, you are currently only able to compare two pharmacies at a time, so you may have to search for your particular drug and dosage many times before you find the lowest price possible.

While choosing a Medicare plan can be intimidating, following these tips will make it easier to find the best deal for you, and make sure that you are kept healthy without breaking the bank.

13 Comments

  1. Although I have no complaints about my existing provider it would be nice to have vision and dental as part of the overall coverage eve at additional cost/

    Reply
  2. I never had to pay copayment for test or meds but since the UnitedHealth I had left Fresno area, I had to take the one I have now. It also doesn’t pay much for dental. I have no idea if it pays anything for eyeswas no longer

    Reply
  3. Please send me information on best coverage Medicare provides from A, B, C D and so on coverage all drugs, vision and dental plans cadillac

    Reply
  4. Have Humana gold hmo with drug coverage,they pay 80 dollars towards my medicare deductible.
    The referall process is crazy.
    Wondering if there is another plan that would help pay medicare deductable without referrals that includes drug coverage.

    Reply
  5. I need health insurance that will cover levy county it I have special needs and it will help low copay or 0 on medicines and Doctor visits.

    Reply
  6. My husband and I have AARP United Healthcare sup and recently we had to change from a Veba Mittal prescription plan to United Medicare D program in Maryland. Since I can only take brand name prescription meds it places all D plans out of sight. Veba Mittal has offered an Aetna Advantage Plan with D but I have heard that seniors have had issues with Aetna. With the cost of insurance rising, is there any other options?

    Reply
  7. I have Humana Gold Plus (HMO) but would like to know about changes and how to upgrade Dental and is there more coverage with PPO.

    Reply
  8. For questions about help with paying contact your state MEDICAID. They work well together

    Reply
  9. I am currently trying to help my father with his medicare plan. This can be a little tricky, but these tips are definitely helpful. I hadn’t thought of perhaps changing pharmacies in order to save money! We’ll be sure to apply your advice! Thanks!

    Reply
  10. My parents are looking to switch to a medicare program, and I’ve been wondering what we can do to set them up with the best plan possible. I didn’t even think about looking at their medications first and finding a program that covers their supplements. Part D will probably be their best option just to make sure that they have good coverage for their drugs.

    Reply
  11. The article makes a pretty good point about how important it is to be willing to switch pharmacies. After all, choosing a good medicare plan for you and your loved one might come with stipulations. In order to get the medicine you need for the price you can afford you may have to go to another pharmacy.

    Reply
  12. These are some fantastic tips; after all, while medicare can be helpful, you have to be willing to make a few changes. As the article points out, one of the big ones has to do with changing pharmacies. If your new medicare plan does not accept your old pharmacy then you might have to change to consider getting all of the benefits.

    Reply
  13. It’s good to know more about choosing a medicare plan. I like how you said that each plan has ratings from 0 to 5 stars. That just like any other purchase online! Knowing that would make it a lot easier to decide, for me.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Annika Larson Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

css.php
      Site Search:

MedicareHelp.org is a privately-owned Non-governmental agency. The government website can be found at HealthCare.gov.

Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal.

Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.