# Choosing a Medicare Drug Plan



## SeaBreeze (Nov 17, 2014)

Some info about choosing a Medicare drug plan...http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Medic...Medicare-Drug-Plan-May-Help-Meet-Deadline.htm



> There are 2 ways to get Medicare prescription drug coverage.  ● You can join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and keep your health coverage under Original Medicare.
> 
> ● Or, you can join a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that includes Medicare drug coverage and get your Medicare benefits through a private insurance company.
> 
> ...


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## Ken N Tx (Nov 18, 2014)

Join a drug plan when you become 65 if you need it or not!! My wife and I did not join a plan at 65 as we had good health and no drugs needed..That changed when we became 68 and we needed a drug plan, well we have to pay a higher premium due to the fact that we did not join at 65!!! They never told us this!!


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## oldman (Nov 18, 2014)

If you are a Veteran you can do well there. I have a drug plan as well. I signed up for some reason, which I forget. I do get a few things from using it, like antibiotics, just to get some of my money back, but get most of my stuff at the VA.


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 18, 2014)

Just got my Drug Plan from Humana. Cost $15.70 per month and will be paying considerably less every 3 months that I am thru the VA Pharmacy. My prescriptions are not costly like some. I will pay $23 every 3 months for the prescriptions I need. I have Florida Blue for my Medicare Supplement Plan. 

I also have VA, but a doctor who is contracted thru Medicare can NOT prescribe meds thru the VA Pharmacy. I will not be using the VA anymore, b/c I will be paying monthly premiums for Medicare B, Florida Blue Supplement and my Humana Drug Plan. 

IOW, Medicare and the VA are completely separate..........they don't work together at all. At least that's what I've read and been told.


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## oldman (Nov 18, 2014)

ClassicRockr said:


> Just got my Drug Plan from Humana. Cost $15.70 per month and will be paying considerably less every 3 months that I am thru the VA Pharmacy. My prescriptions are not costly like some. I will pay $23 every 3 months for the prescriptions I need. I have Florida Blue for my Medicare Supplement Plan.
> 
> I also have VA, but a doctor who is contracted thru Medicare can NOT prescribe meds thru the VA Pharmacy. I will not be using the VA anymore, b/c I will be paying monthly premiums for Medicare B, Florida Blue Supplement and my Humana Drug Plan.
> 
> IOW, Medicare and the VA are completely separate..........they don't work together at all. At least that's what I've read and been told.


++


Everything you said is correct. One of the issues that I never got over was with supplements, prices you pay are different, not only at different pharmacies, but at the same pharmacies. For example; I went to Walgreens in Florida and had a script filled and it cost me $8.00 with using my Plan D. Then, I cam back to PA and had the script refilled at a Walgreens and it cost me $12.00. Why? I asked Walgreens and called their main office and got three different answers, none of which made any sense.


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## LogicsHere (Nov 18, 2014)

I'm going to take a stab at your different pricing for the same medication.  As with everything in this country, pricing is regional . . . there are different overheads for each of the stores and can vary between neighboring towns.  I believe that the basic price is the same, but the difference you're seeing is the overhead (higher property taxes, higher state taxes, etc.).


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## jujube (Nov 18, 2014)

I have Florida Blue right now for both my supplement and drug plan, but they've raised the monthly rate for the drug plan and added a deductible for the first time.  I'm looking into another plan.


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