The Medicare Weekly Q&A Column has been discontinued, so we are not accepting any new questions. Please browse our previous columns below.
About the Column
From September 2005 to June 2006, The Kaiser Family Foundation produced a weekly Q&A column distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services that explained the basics of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. The columns provided consumer-oriented information and helpful advice for people on Medicare and their families during the drug benefit's implementation.
Weekly Columns:
June 8, 2006: I picked a Medicare drug plan that covered my expensive medication, but now I am paying $140 each month for this one drug. I am told there are other Medicare drug plans that charge a lower fee for my medication. What can I do?
June 1, 2006: I become eligible for Medicare in November but plan to work for a few more years and would prefer to keep my employer’s health insurance. Can I stay with my firm's health plan until I retire, and if so, what should I do about my Medicare?
May 25, 2006: My grandmother has Medicare Parts A and B and wants to sign up for a Medicare drug plan but says the monthly fee is too high. Her only source of income is a Social Security check which is $805 per month, and she has less than $6,000 in her savings account. Does she qualify for the Medicare drug benefit? Can she get help with the monthly premiums?
May 18, 2006: My aunt received her Medicare drug card, but the pharmacist told her she would have to get her doctor to fill out a form before the plan would cover her prescription. Does this mean her medication isn't covered by the plan?
May 11, 2006: I heard that my Medicare drug plan could stop covering any of the drugs that I take at any time during the year. Is that true?
May 4, 2006: My great aunt has no income except her monthly Social Security check, but she has a savings account in case she gets really sick. Do you think she will qualify for the extra help under the Medicare drug benefit?
April 27, 2006: I signed up for a Medicare drug plan in March and still haven't received my insurance card. I need to fill my prescriptions but am concerned that I’ll be charged the full amount for them without my card. What do I do?
April 20, 2006: My grandpa lives in a nursing home. We signed him up for a Medicare drug plan earlier this year. We just learned that the nursing home uses a pharmacy that is not covered by his Medicare drug plan. What should we do?
April 13, 2006: My aunt qualifies for extra help under the new Medicare drug benefit, but hasn't signed up for a drug plan. Will Medicare still pay for her prescriptions if she is not actually enrolled in a drug plan?
April 6, 2006: My 65th birthday is in July, after the May 15 deadline for signing up for the Medicare drug benefit. Do I have to sign up by May 15? If not, what’s my deadline?
March 30, 2006: I'm on Medicare and get my four medications free from a pharmaceutical company assistance program. Do I have to give up this program to sign up for a Medicare drug plan?
March 23, 2006: My wife and I currently have drug coverage through my former employer. With the start of the Medicare drug benefit, can my former employer eliminate drug coverage for us? Are there any federal laws preventing this from happening?
March 16, 2006: My sister is on Medicare and signed up for a Medicare drug plan. For one of her medications, she takes 3 pills per day. When I checked it out on Medicare.gov, I noticed that the plan will only cover 30 pills per month – even though her doctor told her to take more than that. What should we do?
March 9, 2006: I am on Medicare and have been getting my drugs from Canada. I am convinced that it is cheaper to get my drugs from Canada, rather than from a new Medicare drug plan. What should I do?
March 2, 2006: I heard that the enrollment period for the Medicare drug benefit might be extended past May 15, 2006. Is that true?
Februrary 23, 2006: My neighbor and I both signed up for the Medicare drug benefit. I was surprised to learn that her plan doesn't cover the same drugs as mine and has a lower monthly premium. Why are they so different?
February 16, 2006: My aunt signed up for a Medicare drug plan and qualified for the extra financial assistance for people with low incomes. I am concerned that she might lose her food stamps because of the new Medicare drug benefit. Can this happen?
February 9, 2006: My grandmother has both Medicare and Medicaid and was assigned to a Medicare drug plan for this year. Turns out, the Medicare plan doesn't cover three of her six drugs. Can she change plans?
February 2, 2006: I've heard a lot about the “doughnut hole” in the new Medicare drug benefit. Can you help me understand what it is and how it affects me?
January 26, 2006: I meant to sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan, but it turns out I signed up for a Medicare PPO by mistake. I want to be in regular Medicare for my basic benefits. What do I do?
January 19, 2006: I am 66 years old, still working, and have health insurance from my employer. Do I need to sign up for a Medicare drug plan?
January 12, 2006: My husband and I live in Maine, but we spend winters in Florida. Can we get a Medicare prescription drug plan that will cover our pharmacy costs in both locations?
January 5, 2006: Does it make sense for my wife and I to enroll in the same plan or should we choose separately?
December 29, 2005: My mother is confused about her choices for the Medicare drug benefit and asked me to help her out. Can you describe the different types of Medicare drug plans that are available to my mom?
December 22, 2005: Do I have to give up my VA coverage to sign up for the Medicare drug benefit?
December 15, 2005: I read that my Medicare premium will jump from $78.20 to $88.50 a month starting in January. Is this increase because of the new drug benefit?
December 8, 2005: I am worried because I haven’t selected a Medicare drug plan, and I hear I will have to pay a big penalty if I wait. My daughter is coming to visit in Feb. and I was hoping to get her help. Do I have to sign up before Jan. 1?
December 1, 2005: My 90-year-old aunt has Alzheimer’s disease and is living in a nursing home. I am her only living family member and now her legal guardian. My aunt spends hundreds of dollars each month on her prescriptions. Will Medicare start to pay for her prescriptions?
November 23, 2005: My 72-year-old father is bi-polar and has emphysema. I’m concerned that he will have to switch medications if he enrolls in one of the new Medicare drug plans. After years of trying several different medications, I don’t want dad to have to try other drugs that we know don’t work. What should we do?
November 17, 2005: I need help with my pharmacy bills and would like to sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan. Do I have to enroll in a Medicare HMO to get the new prescription drug benefit? I've had the same doctor for years and worry that I'd have to switch if I join an HMO.
November 10, 2005: I've heard that the new Medicare drug benefit is only for seniors with low incomes. I am not likely to quality for low-income assistance because of my pension but still need help with my drug costs. What can I do?
November 3, 2005: I am thinking of waiting a few years before I sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan. I am on Medicare, without prescription drug coverage, and don’t want to pay a new monthly premium if I can avoid it. But, I was told I will have to pay more in the future if I don’t sign up by May 15, 2006. Is this true?
October 27, 2005: I am on Medicare and have a Medicare supplement that pays for some of my prescription drugs. I am happy with the coverage that I have. Do I need to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan next year?
October 20, 2005: I’ve heard so many bits and pieces of information about the Medicare drug benefit. Can you give me a quick overview of what I should know?
October 13, 2005: Will Medicaid continue to cover my drugs after the new Medicare drug benefit begins?
October 6, 2005: I signed up for a Medicare-approved discount card earlier this year. Can I still use it in 2006 or do I need to sign up for something else?
September 29, 2005: I am a 78-year-old retiree on Medicare with health benefits from my former employer. Will I have to give up my retiree benefits when the Medicare drug benefit begins next year?
September 22, 2005: This summer I received a letter from Social Security that says I might qualify for extra help to pay for the annual premiums, deductible, and co-payments related to the new Medicare prescription drug plan. What does this mean?
September 15, 2005: I hear that Medicare will begin to pay for prescription drugs next year, and that I will have to pay a monthly premium to get this coverage. I am healthy and take only one prescription. Do I have to sign up for a Medicare drug plan?
