Open enrollment ended last Saturday, December 7, and unless you qualify for a special enrollment period, you can’t sign up for Part D until next October. I have received calls from Medicare beneficiaries this week who are shocked, no, violent. I’ve been yelled at, hung up on and cursed at.

Frankly, this doesn’t faze me, but it made me want to write a blog to help people understand their options if they’ve lost their Part D enrollment. Here are some ideas on how to ease the pain of paying for your prescriptions out of your pocket. Enjoy!

coupons

Search for the keywords “Prescription Coupons” in your search engine and you’ll see hundreds of pop-up pages offering coupons for every drug imaginable. You can also research your specific medication by typing “‘Name of the drug Coupons” in your search engine.

Another approach is to contact the company that sells your medication and ask if they have any coupons they can mail you. Most companies also have coupons or good deals available on their websites. It may sound too easy, but sometimes it’s the easiest solution that works.

Prescription Assistance Programs

There are a variety of programs like these, some are state specific. These programs are not insurance, but help with prescription drug costs.

You must apply and be eligible to qualify for an assistance program. Once you join, you will usually receive a membership discount card that you can use to receive discounts at pharmacies.

The tricky thing about these programs is that you may not qualify for Part D after you enroll in an assistance program. These programs are really for those in desperate need who can’t afford their prescriptions or pay deductibles or Part D premiums. There are also specific programs for seniors, as well as programs that only people under the age of 65 can enroll in. , so it is important that you verify before applying.

One program that I found after just ten minutes of research is RXassist.

pharmacy programs

Large grocery stores like HEB and Walmart offer pharmacy discount programs (I live in Central Texas, so we have HEB, but I’m sure there are competitive grocers in other states as well). By joining these programs, you can get some (not all) of the prescription drugs you use at very low prices. There are small up-front fees to enroll in these programs, but you’ll be able to receive prescription drugs at extremely low prices ($5 for a 30-day supply at HEB). Walmart also has a competitive program with some drugs listed for $4.

As you can see, there are options. Of course my first piece of advice would be No yell at your agent or hang up before they have a chance to help you. You may not even understand your situation. There is a chance that you may qualify for a special enrollment period. Qualifying circumstances are generally things like moving out of a service area, being involuntarily disenrolled from your Medicare Advantage Plan, or other unusual circumstances that are beyond your control.

While I wish I could magically wave my wand and fix the situation, it is what it is. Several analogies are: not filling out your voter registration card in time for an election, applying for a scholarship or grant after the deadline, or submitting a work project late. There are reasons for the deadlines and there is no point in blaming himself, his agent or the government. Mistakes happen, but luckily there are the resources listed above for Medicare beneficiaries to lean on when they forget to sign up for Part D.

To be clear, I am not a Part D agent. So if you want more details about Part D, please contact an agent authorized to sell Part D.