page For 55 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, the New Year means any new Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans, or any changes to your existing plans, take �������������� ������ �������� �������������� ������ �������� �������������������� it’s important to understand how your �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Even if you did nothing to alter your coverage, some features of your plan may have changed for 2017. A survey by Walgreens shows that even though prescription drug costs are among the top concerns for Medicare ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ������������ �������� �������������������������� ������������ ���� ���������� understanding of their insurance plan. Roughly the same percentage falsely believes that all pharmacies charge the same copay and one-third of respondents didn’t know they can switch pharmacies at any time, including outside of the annual enrollment period. To make the ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ cost savings for your prescription medications under your Part D coverage, here are three easy steps to get started: Use a less expensive brand or generic. The brand-name drug your doctor prescribed can do wonders for your symptoms but be worrisome for your budget. Many brand-name drugs have generic or other brand substitutes. First, make sure your doctor considers generic options. If those options aren’t available, there may be lower-cost brand-name drugs used to treat the same condition. Ask your pharmacist if you have that option then talk with your doctor to see if switching brands makes sense in your situation. Verify whether your plan has a preferred pharmacy network. Many prescription drug plans have a preferred pharmacy (preferred cost share) network where you can pay a lower out-of-pocket copay for the exact same drug. Walgreens is in the preferred pharmacy network for many of the �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������� ������������ ������������ �������������� ������ �������� ������ $0 on generic medications for select plans. Filling a generic medication at a non-preferred pharmacy could cost you $3, $5 or even $10 for the same drug. Seek Medicare’s Extra Help program and other ways to save. ������������������������������ an Extra Help program to help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare prescription drug program costs, like premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. Make sure you’re taking full advantage of your insurance coverage, which may cover nonprescription items, like vaccinations and certain over-the-counter medications. ������������������ �������������������������� ���������������� ���������� navigating prescription drug costs can �������� ���������������������� �������������������� �������� ���� ���������� ������ Medicare plan sponsors at walgreens. com/medicare. page 65
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