AARP MedicareRx Walgreens 2020 Maine Medicare Part D Plan S5921-384

On this page we help consumers: Compare AARP MedicareRx Walgreens, a 2020 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) available in Maine for $34.10/month with a $435.00 deductible, with all Medicare Part D Plans in ME.

CMS gave this 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. Plud, 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

This is a cost sharing based prescription drug plan (PDP). With the AARP MedicareRx Walgreens PDP you have several different costs, including the premium (monthly), a deductible (annual), and pharmacy co-pays and/or co-insurance.

Premium

The monthly premium is $34.10 ($409.20 paid annually). It breaks down as follows:

Basic Premium:	$16.10
Supplemental Premium:	$18.00
Full Premium:	$34.10

Low-Income Subsidy

This plan is not available to people receiving full Low Income Subsidy (LIS) benefits.

Deductible

The annual deductible is $435.00.

For 2020, the maximum Part D deductible is $435. A plan with the maximum deductible does not necessarily mean that it is more expensive than a plan with a lower deductible or no deductible at all. You need to consider all costs.

You Pay the Premium + Deductible + Copayments

You are required to pay your premium each month, even if you don't fill a prescription. Plus, you'll pay all of your prescription costs until the annual deductible amount has been paid (if any). You'll also pay the required copayment at your pharmacy when you have your prescriptions filled. These are your costs and the plan pays the rest.

What You Pay Could Be Different

There are two conditions that could affect how much you pay for this plan. If you qualify for the Social Security Extra Help program your premium will generally be lower. Also, if you enrolled late the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service may impose a premium penalty. Contact your local Maine Medicare Insurance Agent to get an exact quote for your situation.

Coverage Details

AARP MedicareRx Walgreens is a Enhanced PDP. At a minimum, UnitedHealthcare 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

It's important to understand the initial coverage limit (ICL) and how it applies to you in Maine. The ICL is where you share the cost of your prescriptions with the insurance company. You and UnitedHealthcare each pay your share until you reach a total of $4020.00 (retail spending) spent at the pharmacy on prescriptions. At that point you pay all costs yourself because you're in the coverage gap, as explained below.

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 AARP MedicareRx Walgreens 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

AARP MedicareRx Walgreens does not offer additional assistance in the coverage gap. If you reached the coverage gap last year and were not able to afford your medications, be sure to check with your local Maine 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 AARP MedicareRx Walgreens 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:

Tier	Preferred	Standard
1 (Preferred Generic)	$0.00 copay	$15.00 copay
2 (Generic)	$5.00 copay	$20.00 copay
3 (Preferred Brand)	$40.00 copay	$47.00 copay
4 (Non-Preferred Drug)	32%	33%
5 (Specialty Tier)	25%	25%

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 UnitedHealthcare plan.

2020 Overall Rating
Drug Plan Customer Service
Complaints and Changes in the Drug Plan
Member Experience with the Drug Plan
Drug Safety and Accuracy of Drug Pricing

Contact UnitedHealthcare

Here's the new member contact information for UnitedHealthcare:

Prospective Members:	(888)867-5564
TTY Users:	(711)-
Plan Website:	http://www.AARPMedicarePlans.com
Formulay Information:	http://www.AARPMedicarePlans.com
Pharmacy Information:	http://www.AARPMedicarePlans.com

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 or the Wikipedia page. For information about the SSA's Extra Help program, download the Understanding Extra Help guide.

Availability

If you are entitled to Medicare Part A (enrolled or not) or currently enrolled in Medicare Part B you may join the AARP MedicareRx Walgreens prescription drug plan. Unless you also receive benefits from Medicaid, enrollment in a Part D plan is voluntary. This plan is available in Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland, Auburn, Biddeford, Sanford, and all other towns and cities in Maine.

The Medicare Part D information on this page originates from CMS Landscape Source Files, is maintained by David Bynon, and was last updated on October 2, 2019.