Which Two Phrases In This Information About Medicare

How Much Will My Prescription Drugs Cost

Several factors determine how much you will pay for your prescriptions.

• The plan you choose. Each plan sets its own cost-sharing by tier. Check with your plan about incentives, such as discounted pricing on 90- or 100-day supplies.
• Whether your pharmacy is inside your plans network. Generally, you need to use a pharmacy in your plans network for the medication to be covered. Some plans have preferred pharmacies where you could save even more.
• Whether the drug you take is on the covered drug list . Generally, plans will only cover medications if the drug is on their covered drug list . Medicare drug plans have negotiated to get lower prices for the drugs on their drug lists, so using those drugs will generally save you money. Medicare drug plans have negotiated to get lower prices for the drugs on their drug lists, so using those drugs will generally save you money.
• What tier your medication is on. Plans place their drugs on different tiers which determine costs. Generally, the lower the tier, the less you pay.
• Whether your plan has a deductible. With a deductible, you pay for the full cost of your medication until youve met the deductible amount.
• Whether you qualify for extra subsidies. There are programs available to help people with limited incomes pay prescription drug costs. Learn how you may be able to qualify to get help.

How To Read A Drug List

Your drug list will include a table similar to the one below. Its the key to helping you understand.

The drug covered by your plan

The tier level or pricing category generally, the lower the tier, the less you pay.

Any special rules for a drug that youll need to follow, like prior authorization, quantity limit or step therapy

There are two ways to find drugs in the drug list :

Find A Medicare Drug Plan In Your Area

Use the online Medicare Plan Finder tool for a list of the stand-along Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans with drug insurance available in your ZIP code.15 The comparison tool shows the drugs covered by each plan, cost-sharing amounts, and whether you need prior authorization and preferred pharmacies.

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Attendances With Other Health Services

You can bill attendance items in association with another MBS item if:

• the attendance is clinically relevant
• you meet the item description of all items.

There are certain restrictions that prevent billing attendance items in association with other MBS items.

You cant count the time spent performing non-attendance items when selecting the appropriate attendance item to bill.

D Plan Premiums And Benefits In 2022

Premiums

The 2022 Part D base beneficiary premium â which is based on bids submitted by both PDPs and MA-PDs and is not weighted by enrollment â is $33.37, a modest increase from 2021. But actual premiums paid by Part D enrollees vary considerably. For 2022, PDP monthly premiums range from a low of $5.50 for a PDP in Colorado to a high of $207.20 for a PDP in South Carolina . Even within a state, PDP premiums can vary for example, in Florida, monthly premiums range from $7.70 to $174.30. In addition to the monthly premium, Part D enrollees with higher incomes pay an income-related premium surcharge, ranging from $12.30 to $77.10 per month in 2021 .

Benefits

The Part D defined standard benefit has several phases, including a deductible, an initial coverage phase, a coverage gap phase, and catastrophic coverage, although it does not have a hard cap on out-of-pocket spending. Between 2021 and 2022, the parameters of the standard benefit are rising, which means Part D enrollees will face higher out-of-pocket costs for the deductible and in the initial coverage phase, as they have in prior years, and will have to pay more out-of-pocket before qualifying for catastrophic coverage .

• The standard deductible is increasing from $445 in 2021 to $480 in 2022
• The initial coverage limit is increasing from $4,130 to $4,430, and
• The out-of-pocket spending threshold is increasing from $6,550 to $7,050 .

Figure 6: Medicare Part D Standard Benefit Parameters Will Increase in 2022â

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An Overview Of The Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit

Medicare Part D is a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit for people with Medicare, provided through private plans approved by the federal government. Beneficiaries can choose to enroll in either a stand-alone prescription drug plan to supplement traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan , mainly HMOs and PPOs, that cover all Medicare benefits including drugs. In 2021, 48 million of the more than 62 million people covered by Medicare are enrolled in Part D plans. This fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare Part D program, plan availability, enrollment, and spending and financing, based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , the Congressional Budget Office , and other sources.

D Spending And Financing

Part D Spending

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that spending on Part D benefits will total $111 billion in 2022, representing 15% of net Medicare outlays . Part D spending depends on several factors, including the total number of Part D enrollees, their health status and drug use, the number of high-cost enrollees , the number of enrollees receiving the Low-Income Subsidy, and plansâ ability to negotiate discounts with drug companies and preferred pricing arrangements with pharmacies, and manage use . Federal law currently prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from interfering in drug price negotiations between Part D plan sponsors and drug manufacturers.

Part D Financing

Financing for Part D comes from general revenues , beneficiary premiums , and state contributions . The monthly premium paid by enrollees is set to cover 25.5% of the cost of standard drug coverage. Medicare subsidizes the remaining 74.5%, based on bids submitted by plans for their expected benefit payments. Higher-income Part D enrollees pay a larger share of standard Part D costs, ranging from 35% to 85%, depending on income.

Payments to Plans

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Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program , and health insurance portability standards.

Electronic Protected Health Information

Electronic protected health information is protected health information that is produced, saved, transferred or received in an electronic form. In the United States, ePHI management is covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Security Rule.

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What Not To Say During Medicare Educational And Sales Events

Roxanne AndersonEditor/Lead Copywriter

Want to host a Medicare educational event or a Medicare sales event? Its important to know that there are certain things you can and cannot say during these events!

Just like how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have some strict rules on what you can and cannot say during Medicare sales appointments, they also have strict rules on what you can say at Medicare educational and sales events. You can find these rules in the Medicare Advantage & Part D Communication Requirements, but to help make understanding these rules easier, were going over the major language restrictions below!

Note: Please keep in mind that, in addition to the phrases listed below, while youre hosting Medicare educational and sales events, you also cannot say the things we covered in our What Agents Cant Say During Medicare Sales Appointments post. While we think that we provide a pretty good summary of what you cant say during these events below, we know this post is not all-encompassing. For all rules on what you can and cannot say during Medicare educational and sales events, please read the full Medicare Advantage Communication Requirements& Part D Communication Requirements from CMS.

Are There Special Rules I Need To Consider

Some prescription drugs require that you adhere to special rules before your insurer will cover them. For example:

• Step therapy: If this is the first time youre taking a drug, you may be required to start with a more cost-efficient version before you can move onto a more expensive medication.
• Prior authorization: Your doctor will need to get approval before the plan will pay for a drug.
• Quantity limits: Certain drugs, such as opioids, will have limits on the number of doses and/or refills that your insurer will cover.

Your plan’s drug list will tell you which drugs require step therapy, prior authorization and quantity limits. If your medication falls into any of these categories, you may need to take action before the plan will cover the drug. Check with your doctor about your options.

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Medicares History: Key Takeaways

• Medicare per-capita spending growth has slowed since 2010.

Discussion about a national health insurance system for Americans goes all the way back to the days of President Teddy Roosevelt, whose platform included health insurance when he ran for president in 1912. But the idea for a national health plan didnt gain steam until it was pushed by U.S. President Harry S Truman.

On November 19, 1945, seven months into his presidency, Truman sent a message to Congress, calling for the creation of a national health insurance fund, open to all Americans. The plan Truman envisioned would provide health coverage to individuals, paying for such typical expenses as doctor visits, hospital visits, laboratory services, dental care and nursing services.

What Prescription Drugs Are Covered By Medicare Part D

Every Medicare plan with prescription drug coverage has a list of drugs also known as a formulary that it agrees to cover. When you research a plan, check your list of medications against the prescription drugs on your plans list. Youll also be able to see which “tier” its been placed into. Generally, the lower the tier, the less you pay. For example, you will often pay less for a drug on Tier 1 than you would on Tier 4. The Medicare Plan Finder is a useful comparison tool you can use to plug in the names of prescription drugs and find plans in your area that will cover them. View the Medicare Plan Finder.

Your plan drug list will include both brand and generic drugs. Generic drugs have been deemed as safe and effective as brand-name medications by the Food and Drug Administration. Check with your doctor to see if a generic prescription drug is right for you.

Your plan may make limited changes to the drug list during the plan year. Plans typically dont remove drugs from the covered drug list or move them to a higher tier during the plan year. Sometimes changes are necessary, like when a drug is found to be unsafe or is no longer available. You will be notified if this happens with one of your medicines.

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Initial Coverage Election Period

This 7-month period begins three months immediately before the month of the individuals first entitlement to Medicare Part A and Part B and ends on the last day of the 3rd month following the entitlement month. The ICEP is the period during which an individual newly eligible for Medicare may make an initial enrollment request to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Availability In 2022

In 2022, 766 PDPs will be offered across the 34 PDP regions nationwide , a substantial reduction of 230 PDPs from 2021 and the first drop in PDP availability since 2017 .

The relatively large decrease in the number of PDPs for 2022 is primarily the result of consolidations of plan offerings sponsored by Cigna and WellCare resulting in the market exit of three national PDPs from each firm in each region. This accounts for just over 200 PDPs offered in 2021 that will no longer be offered in 2022. Enrollees in these non-renewing plans will be automatically switched to other plans offered by the same plan sponsors, although they can choose to switch into a different plan.

Despite the reduction in PDP availability for 2022, beneficiaries in each state will have a choice of multiple stand-alone PDPs, ranging from 19 PDPs in New York to 27 PDPs in Arizona . In addition, beneficiaries will be able to choose from among multiple MA-PDs offered at the local level for coverage of their Medicare benefits.

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Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

During the MA OEP, Medicare Advantage plan enrollees may enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan or disenroll from their Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare.

• MA OEP January 1 through March 31
• MA OEP New Allows new Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in an MA plan to make a second election during their ICEP period
• In both cases, enrollees must be already enrolled in an MA plan to use this election.

How Many Ways Are There To Get Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

2 waysThere are 2 ways to get Medicare drug coverage: to join a separate Medicare drug plan. 2. Most Medicare Advantage Plans offer prescription drug coverage. Generally, a plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide Part A and Part B benefits to people with Medicare who enroll in the plan.

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Computerized Physician Order Entry

Computerized physician order entry , also known as computerized provider order entry or computerized practitioner order entry, refers to the process of a medical professional entering and sending medication orders and treatment instructions electronically via a computer application instead of on paper charts.

Issues For The Future

The Medicare drug benefit has helped to reduce out-of-pocket drug spending for enrollees, which is especially important to those with modest incomes or very high drug costs. But in the face of rising drug prices, more plans charging coinsurance rather than flat copayments for covered brand-name drugs, and annual increases in the out-of-pocket spending threshold, many Part D enrollees are likely to face higher out-of-pocket costs for their medications.

Policymakers are currently debating several proposals to control drug spending by Medicare and beneficiaries. Several of these proposals address concerns about the lack of a hard cap on out-of-pocket spending for Part D enrollees, the significant increase in Medicare spending for enrollees with high drug costs, prices for many drugs rising faster than the rate of inflation, and the relatively weak financial incentives faced by Part D plan sponsors to control high drug costs. Such proposals include allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs, restructuring the Part D benefit to add a hard cap on out-of-pocket drug spending, requiring manufacturers to pay a rebate to the federal government if their drug prices increase faster than inflation, and shifting more of the responsibility for catastrophic coverage costs to Part D plans and drug manufacturers.

Topics

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Subsequent Attendance With An Item In Group T8

There are some subsequent attendance items which cant be billed on the same day with any Group T8 surgical item equal to or greater than the applicable threshold. These are attendance items 105, 116, 119, 386, 2806, 2814, 3010, 3014, 6009, 6011, 6013, 6015, 6019, 6052, or 16404.

Group T8 items include items 30001-51171.

You can bill specialist subsequent attendance item 111, 117 or 120, if each of the following apply:

• the procedure is urgent
• you couldnt predict the procedure before the start of the attendance
• the service meets the item description.

You can bill subsequent attendance item 115 if each of the following apply:

• the attendance is urgent
• you couldnt predict the attendance prior to the procedure
• the attendance is unrelated to the scheduled T8 surgical procedure
• the service meets the item description and requirements.

Read more about this co-claiming limitation in MBS Note AN.3.1.

What Is Extra Help And Who Is Eligible

You may be eligible for lower premiums, deductibles and coinsurance through Medicares Extra Help program. In 2022, those enrolled in the program pay $3.95 for each generic and $9.85 for each brand name drug.

In 2022, you may qualify if your income is up to $19,320 for an individual and $26,130 for a couple and you have a limited amount of resources such as savings, stocks and bonds. If your income or resources change, you can apply for Extra Help at any time.13

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