SilverScript Plus North Carolina Medicare Part D Plan
This page contains editorial content that is not endorsed or approved by SilverScript[2]. This is not a solicitation of insurance.
| Medicare Rating: | |
|---|---|
| CMS Plan ID: | S5601-017 |
| CMS Plan Year: | 2021 |
| Premium: | $61.60/mo |
| Rx Deductible: | $0.00 (annual) |
| Initial Coverage: | $4130.00 |
| Mail Order: | Coming Soon! |
| Donut Hole Coverage: | Yes |
| Subsidies: | No |
| Formulary ID: | 00020222 |
| Benefit Type: | Enhanced |
SilverScript Plus is a 3.5 Star Medicare Part D Plan for Medicare Beneficiaries in North Carolina
CMS gave this prescription drug plan a quality rating of 3.5 out of 5.0 stars (Average).
These are the areas of the plan that are important to compare and review:
- Premium & Deductible: The premium is the amount you will pay monthly. Plus, many plans have an annual deductible that must be met before cost sharing begins.
- Coverage Phases: Part D plans have an initial coverage limit, followed by a coverage gap, and then catastropic coverage. Some plans offer some coverage in the gap.
- Co-pays & Co-insurance: If you have regular prescriptions, it's critical to verify that your drugs are covered and to know what you will pay at the pharmacy.
- CMS Ratings: Important measurements across 4 different areas that will help you understand how well this plan will care for you.
Cost Details
SilverScript Plus is a cost-sharing prescription drug plan (PDP). There are three distinct costs: monthly premiums, an annual deductible, and co-payments or co-insurance. The annual premium on this PDP is $739.20 ($61.60 per month), and breaks down as follows:
Low-Income Subsidy
This plan is not available to people receiving full Low Income Subsidy (LIS) benefits.
Deductible
This plan has a $0.00 deductible (annual).
A zero dollar ($0.00) deductible means you have first dollar coverage. Many Part D Plans have a deductible (up to $435 per year in 2021) that must be paid before your prescription coverage assistance kicks in.
You Pay the Premium + Deductible + Copayments
Here's a rundown of your shared costs. Like all other types of insurance, you must pay your premium. The premium has nothing to do with how many prescriptions you have filled. If the plan has a deductible, you must pay one hundred percent of your prescription costs until you reach the amount of the deductible. When the deductible is met, then you pay the copayment amount at the pharmacy. All other costs are paid by the plan until you hit the donut hole (initial coverage limit)
What You Pay Could Be Different
There are two situations that can change your monthly premium. If your income is low and you are accepted into the Extra Help program administered by Social Security, your premium could be lower. It's also possible that your premium could be higher due to a late entry penalty. Be sure to speak with an authorized North Carolina Medicare Insurance Agent to get an exact quote for your situation.
Coverage Details
SilverScript Plus is a Enhanced PDP. At a minimum, SilverScript must offer a "standard benefit" package mandated by law. The standard benefit includes an annual deductible and a gap in coverage, aka, donut hole. Carriers may also offer plans that:
- are actuarially equivalent to the standard benefit; or
- are enhanced, offering benefits in addition to the standard benefit.
Typically, enhanced plans offer additional coverage during the coverage gap. If you fell into the donut hole last year, shop enhanced plans.
Initial Coverage Limit
Confused about the initial coverage limit? Don't be, because it's straight forward. If you enroll in the SilverScript Plus PDP, you share the cost of your prescriptions with SilverScript. You each pay your share until the amount spent at the pharmacy reaches $4130.00 (retail spending amount). That's the initial coverage limit in North Carolina for plan year 2021. After that, you are not covered (coverage gap) until your actual out-of-pocket costs qualify you for catastrophic coverage. Keep reading, because you are entitled to automatic discounts.
Coverage Gap (aka, Donut Hole)
The coverage gap, or donut hole, as it is often called, is the coverage phase where you no longer receive assistance from the plan. In other words, you pay for your prescriptions out-of-pocket. How quickly you reach the coverage gap with SilverScript Plus all depends on your prescriptions. Most seniors never fall into the donut hole.
If you reach the ICL (most people don't), then you are responsible for 100% of your prescription costs until your out-of-pocket costs hit $6,350 (excluding your monthly premiums and the amount paid by the plan). This is called the coverage gap or donut hole. The good news is that you get a 75% discount on your brand-name prescription drugs and your generic medications while you're in the gap. You get to the other side of the donut hole when you've spent $6,350, at which point you automatically qualify to receive catastrophic coverage from Medicare.
Additional Gap Coverage
SilverScript Plus offers some additional assistance in the coverage gap. See the plan's Summary of Benefits for details. If you reached the coverage gap last year and were not able to afford your medications, be sure to check with your local North Carolina Medicaid office. You may qualify for additional assistance. The Social Security Administration's Extra Help program is another opportunity for seniors on Medicare who are not able to afford their prescriptions.
Copayment & Coinsurance Details
In addition to the monthly premium and annual deductible, the SilverScript Plus prescription drug plan has copayments (fixed dollar amount) and/or coinsurances (percentage) that you must pay when you pickup your medications. Here's the schedule for this plan:
IMPORTANT: In order to determine if this is the best PDP for you, it's critical that you look up your prescriptions in the plan's formulary.
Medicare Part D Star Ratings
In this section we show you the quality rating for this plan. Each year the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rates prescription drug plans in four broad categories. We do not recommend joining a plan with an overall rating less than 3.0. The following marks will give you an idea of the level of care you will receive if you join this SilverScript plan.
Contact SilverScript
Here's the new member contact information for SilverScript:
For assistance 24 hours a day, call 800-633-4227. TTY users should call 877-486-2048. If you qualify for Medicare but have not yet enrolled or verified your enrollment status, you can do so on the Social Security Administration website. You can learn more about the Medicare Part D program on www.medicare.gov. For information about the SSA's Extra Help program, download the Understanding Extra Help guide.
Compare Plan Options
The average North Carolina senior compares three or more plan options before making an enrollment decision.
Compatibility
SilverScript Plus can be used in conjunction with Original Medicare (Parts A and B), and all Medicare supplement plans in North Carolina. It can also be used with North Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, but only if the Part C plan does not include Part D.
Availability
If you are entitled to Medicare Part A (enrolled or not) or currently enrolled in Medicare Part B you may join the SilverScript Plus prescription drug plan. Unless you also receive benefits from Medicaid, enrollment in a Part D plan is voluntary. This plan is available in Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord, Raleigh, Greensboro, High Point, Winston, Salem, Durham, Fayetteville, Cary, Wilmington, Ashville, Jacksonville, Chapel Hill, Rocky Mount, Burlington, Wilson, and all other towns and cities in North Carolina.
The Medicare Part D information on this page originates from CMS Landscape Source Files, is maintained by David Bynon, and was last updated on .
