A Note on Hepatitis C Treatment and Medigap

After reading the Healthwise article, “Reducing the Cost of Hepatitis C Treatment” (October 2011), a reader wrote, “I was wondering if you could do a follow up web post or article on cost for people who are on, or about to go on, Medicare. I'm trying to choose a Medicare supplemental policy…Literally dozens of choices, and almost all have the "donut hole" coverage gap in their drug plans, and even after that it’s 5% of drug cost. Total cost could still be very high, and most help programs may not apply with Medicare.”

We asked regular contributor and Benefits Consultant, Jacques Chambers, CLU to answer this question and he replied, “Medicare supplement policies (Medigap) plans do not cover medications other than those few medications that are covered under Part B Medicare. If you plan to go with original Medicare Parts A & B with a supplement, you will also need a Medicare Part D - Prescription plan. To find the best plan for you, go to www.medicare.gov and search for a stand-alone drug plan. There you can enter your medications, along with the dosage and quantity, and it will show you the costs including your out-of-pocket costs for all the plans you are eligible for. 

Drug plans are by state, and California plans stopped providing coverage in the donut hole some years back. Remember now under the Affordable Care Act, all plans cover 50% of brand name drugs while in the donut hole. Also, if your income is low, you may want to apply for Extra Help, which can subsidize your Part D plan. You can see if you are eligible and apply at www.ssa.gov.

Now is the time to find or change a Part D Medications Plan. Open enrollment is from October 15 to December 7 with an effective date change of 01-01-2012.

Read the original article here

Lucinda K. Porter, RN
Author of Free from Hepatitis C: Your Complete Guide to Healing Hepatitis C

(December 1, 2011 release - Square One Publishers)
www.lucindakporter.com