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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

What it is Medicare Part D and How Does it Relates to My Supplements?

By Richard Cantu

Medicare insurance is provided folks over the age of 65 in the U.S., as well as people who are permanently disabled and have been receiving social security benefits for 2 years. The program is not designed to be all-inclusive which means that there are some medical costs that arent covered. Most people who are on Medicare also live on fixed incomes and having unknown expenses is not the best thing in the world for them.

Medicare supplement plans are designed to help cover extra medical costs not typically covered by parts A & B. Medicare coverage currently has 4 parts. Part A is hospital and inpatient care, Part B is outpatient doctor and testing care, Part C is the Medicare Advantage Plan, and Part D is prescription drug coverage. Parts A and B are the original Medicare parts " inpatient and outpatient medical expense coverage provided by Medicare.

Part C is an alternative to traditional Medicare that offers more benefits than the original policy. It acts instead of Medicare, unlike supplements which work WITH Medicare coverage. Part D is the part that everyone has questions about. So what exactly is Part D and what does it cover?

Part D is one of the more confusing parts and many people questions what it covers. Its a Medicare program designed to help cover prescription drug expenses for participants. If youre cursed with chronic health issues you likely understand the cost of drugs, and most of them are not covered by Part A and B.

Only certain drugs (often only when administered in a clinical setting) are covered by parts A & B. You will likely still be out some money for deductibles and coinsurance unless you have a Medicare supplement policy (also known as Medigap).

Medicare supplemental plans no longer offer prescription coverage. Take the time to consider this because all of your medical expenses should be affordable, not just hospital and doctor costs. Your prescriptions at this point could be critical and you might not be able to live without them.

If you have questions, ask your insurance agent or doctor about which medications are covered so that you can ensure you can afford what is prescribed.

For more information on Medicare supplement and Medigap coverage, visit http://www.gomedigap.com.

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