Utilizing Your Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

As the new year begins, individuals with Medicare who have already joined a Medicare drug strategy can take benefit of the new Medicare prescription drug coverage. Considering that this is a new plan for Medicare, you might have concerns about how to use your Medicare drug plan. For instance, what if you joined a strategy but haven't received a program ID card in the mail but? Or, what if your drugs medicaid diagnosis codes were report medical fraud covered by Medicaid and you are not sure how to get your medicines now? Whatever queries you have, Medicare has answers.

Very first Pharmacy Trip

Here are some suggestions folks with Medicare can use to make certain their very first trip to the pharmacy goes different types of medicare smoothly:

• When you first join a Medicare drug plan, you'll get an acknowledgement letter in the mail about a week after you join. Your strategy ID card must arrive 3 to 5 weeks later.

• If you need to go to the pharmacy before your ID card arrives, bring the acknowledgement letter from your program, your Medicare and/or Medicaid card, and a photo ID.

• Save the receipts from your pharmacist.

• For extra help, call 1-800-MEDICARE, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Folks with Medicare and Medicaid

If your pharmacist is having trouble confirming what program you're in or regardless of whether you also get Medicaid, he can also call a special toll-free quantity that Medicare set up for pharmacists to get assist. Folks with Medicare who also get Medicaid really should be able to get their prescriptions filled with minimal copayments and no deductibles.

How to Join a Plan

If you haven't joined a Medicare drug strategy but, do not worry. You have till Could 15, 2006 to pick and join a strategy with no getting to pay a penalty