To figure whether a Medicare drug discount card is right for you:
Make a list of all your prescriptions, with the dose you take and the
out-of-pocket price you pay now. A worksheet that can help is available
at aarp.org.
Calculate your annual income. If it's less than $12,569 for a single
person or $16,862 for a couple, you may be eligible for a $600 credit
toward purchases.
Go to medicare.gov and
click on "prescription drug and other assistance programs." The Web site
will prompt you to type in personal details, including your ZIP code and
the names and dosages of your current medications.
The Web site will list discount cards available in your area and whether
they cover all or some of your prescriptions. Then it will list prices
for those prescriptions, which pharmacies near you honor those cards and
whether mail-order options are available.
Be prepared for lengthy navigation through the Web site, with many
options to compare. Remember, these are cards issued by private
companies, not by the government. The companies are allowed to change
prices, and new information is posted on the Medicare Web site every
Monday.
Not online? Call Medicare toll-free at 1-800-633-4227. Operators will
take your details and mail computer printouts of your options to your
home. The phone lines are staffed around the clock, but many people have
reported that it's difficult to get through.
Call the companies directly about obtaining a card or for more
information. You need to contact the card company, not Medicare, by
phone or on the Internet. The Medicare Web site has contact information
on each card company. As the new system gets up and running, some people
say they are finding incorrect information on the Medicare Web site, so
it pays to check details with the card company and your local pharmacy.
Cards cost $30 maximum; some are free. You can obtain only one, and it
is good only until the end of 2004, when you can renew it or choose a
different card for 2005.
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