This holiday, baby boomers can give their parents a gift they really may need: help choosing a Medicare prescription drug plan.
The new drug coverage kicks in next year, presenting those 65 and older dozens of options, each with its own premium structure, list of covered drugs and participating pharmacies. One of the best tools for cutting through the maze is Medicare's drug plan comparison program at www.medicare.gov.
That's the problem. About three-quarters of older Americans have never been on the Internet, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey. Baby boomers and younger generations can provide assistance by putting their keystroke skills to work.
Alan Dorenfeld of Pikesville recently went through the Medicare online program to select prescription drug plans for his 85-year-old father and 82-year-old mother.
"It's well done, but not well done for seniors," said Dorenfeld, 60. "You have to be comfortable with the computer -- kind of like trial and error. Put data in; take data out. Let's be honest, what percentage of 85-year-olds are computer-literate enough to be able to do that?"
The enrollment period runs from Nov. 15 through May 15. Sign up before the end of the year and coverage begins Jan. 1. Enroll after the May deadline, and you'll pay a penalty in the form of an escalating premium for each month you delay.
Personally, I'm hoping the government simplifies the plans over the next year into something everyone can understand. Do we really need so many plans except to confuse everybody?
No comments:
Post a Comment