Medicare Part D Plans: Compare & Find the Best Coverage

Comparing Medicare Part D prescription drug plans helps you avoid spending more money than necessary, as well as drug coverage denials. Making comparisons assures that the plan you choose covers everything you need.

Online

• A useful tool for comparing Medicare Part D plans, the "Plan Finder" is available through the Medicare official website. With the plan finder, you input information about the drugs you take and your zip code, and receive a list of plans available in your area, along with estimated costs, such as co-payments, premiums and deductibles. The plan finder allows you to compare available plans side-by-side.

Over the Phone

• You can call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask about a particular plan's customer satisfaction rating. You can also call each plan individually to ask questions about information the plan finder didn't supply, and rate their customer service for yourself.

Vital Questions

• Find out how much each plan costs, including co-payments, monthly premiums and deductibles. Make sure all of your drugs are on the formulary, or list of drugs covered. Find out if there are any restrictions placed on the drugs you need, such as prior authorization, step therapy (requiring you to try less expensive drugs first) or quantity limits (a monthly cap on the number of pills). Finally, if you have a preferred pharmacy, make sure that pharmacy is in each plan's network.