Am I Required To Join A Medicare Drug Plan?

No, you are not required to join a Medicare drug plan- joining a drug plan is your choice.  However, to have Medicare help pay for your drugs, you must join a plan that provides Medicare prescription drug coverage.  These plans are run by an insurance company or other private company approved by Medicare.

There are 2 ways to get your Medicare prescription drug coverage

1. Part D (PDPs)–  These plans are stand-alone plans that add drug coverage to Original MedicareOriginal Medicare is private fee-for-service health insurance for people on Medicare. It has two parts. Part A is hospital coverage. Part B is medical coverage.....
2. Medicare Advantage PlansMedicare Advantage (MA), also known as Medicare Part C, are health plans from private insurance companies that are available to people eligible for Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B).... (MAPD)– You get all of your Part AMedicare Part A is hospital inpatient coverage for people with Original Medicare, whereas Part B is medical coverage for doctor visits, tests, etc.... and Part BMedicare Part B is medical coverage for people with Original Medicare. It covers doctor visits, specialists, lab tests and diagnostics, and durable medical equipment. Part A is for hospital inpatient care.... coverage as well as prescription drug coverage (Part D) through these plans.  You must have both Part A and Part B to join a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Each plan varies in both cost and drugs covered.  You can choose to join the plan that best meets your needs.  Consider enrolling during your Initial Enrollment PeriodMost people get their Medicare benefits at age 65. The Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a seven-month period when a new beneficiary can enroll in Medicare without a penalty...., even if you do not use a lot of prescription drugs at that time, because there is a penalty for waiting.  Because of this penalty, if you choose to join later, your premiumA premium is an amount that an insurance policyholder must pay for coverage. Premiums are typically paid on a monthly basis. In the federal Medicare program, there are four different types of premiums. ... will be higher.

Medicare drug plans are not only prescription specific, but they are also location specific.  You must live in the service area of the plan you choose.  We’ve made it easy to research these plans with our Medicare Part DMedicare Part D is Medicare's prescription drug plan program. Plans are offered by private insurance companies and cover outpatient prescriptions.... online catalog.  Just click here – enter your age, zip code and all your prescription drugs, along with your dosage information.  You will be shown top rated plans in your area specific to your prescription drug care needs.