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On January 1, 2006,
Medicare implemented a new program to help pay for prescription drugs for
people who have Medicare Part A and/or Part B. This program is called
Medicare Part D. It is also known as “Medicare Rx.”
ConnPACE has been
coordinating benefits with the Medicare Part D. Beginning January 1, 2010,
ConnPACE will continue to pay for prescription costs that exceed the $16.25
co-payment, but will only provide monthly premium assistance for ConnPACE
members enrolled in a Connecticut-approved ‘benchmark’ Medicare Part D
Prescription Drug Plan. There will be 13 stand-alone benchmark Medicare
Part D Plans offered in Connecticut for the 2010 benefit year. If a
ConnPACE member is enrolled in a non-benchmark Medicare Part D Prescription
Drug Plan, he/she will be responsible for a monthly premium cost starting in
January 2010. Also effective January 1, 2010, ConnPACE will no longer cover
the cost of medications that are NOT on your Medicare Part D Prescription
Drug Plan's formulary (approved drug list). It is important to make sure
you are enrolled in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan that covers all
of your prescriptions.
Follow
this link for a list of all Connecticut-Approved 'benchmark' prescription
drug plans
Follow this link for a
list of all Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans |
As a ConnPACE member, you
will continue to be responsible for the annual ConnPACE application fee of
$45, which is paid to maintain your ConnPACE benefits. Your Medicare Part D
Prescription Drug Plan becomes your primary insurance carrier, and ConnPACE,
by virtue of providing wrap-around coverage, becomes secondary.
In addition to ConnPACE and
Medicare working together, you may also qualify for “extra help” with your
prescription costs. This is also referred to as Low Income Subsidy. The
“extra help” is a subsidy administered by the Social Security
Administration. With the “extra help,” you will pay as little as $2.50 for
generics or $6.30 for brand prescriptions, which is even less than the
current ConnPACE co-payment of $16.25 per prescription. The amount of
assistance received through this subsidy is based on an individual’s current
income and assets. For more information, or to apply for “extra help,”
please contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or the
CHOICES program at 1-800-994-9422. |
