Medicare Part D--what do we do, please help?

OK...my father-in-law will turn 65 in November. He is already signed up for Part A but not Part B because he is not retiring yet. But he needs to sign up for Part D.

I know which plan is the cheapest, but most of them have a GAP starting at $2400. His employer is dropping his group coverage & is willing to pay for an individual supplemental policy, but I cannot find an individual policy that offers prescription drug coverage if you are eligible for, or are a member of Part D Medicare. If he doesn't have employer insurance (or a retirement plan) what is he going to do??? His meds are almost $400/month full price. Is there a supplemental policy that offers drug coverage for the Medicare gap, or will he have to get a Part D plan without a gap (premiums are A LOT higher on those).

Has anyone dealt with this before. He can't pay $400 for his meds, especially when he retires & draws ONLY his Social Security.

Please answer only if you have useful advice. THANKS SO MUCH!!

First, his employer can not drop his Group coverage....it's illegal. I don't care if he's offering to pay the supplement. He's being cheap!! He needs to stay on the group insurance....because of the group insurance he does not need to enroll in Part D...he will have creditable coverage. He needs to inform Medicare so that when he does retire and loses coverage he will not be penalized and have to pay more for Part D. Second, even tho he is not retiring, he still has to enroll in Part B. If he does not, his group insurance will only cover 20% of hospital bills. If not on Part B, the group insurance is only required to pay what Medicare would have paid.

Email me if you have any questions or need further clarification. mrsdeli@yahoo.com

Talk to an independent insurance agent who mainly handles supplemental Medicare insurance. They should be able to help you.

You could try Partnership for Prescription Assistance. It hooks you up with drug manufacturers that can help. Some programs leave out people with medicare D coverage, but some are dependent upon need regardless of Medicare D coverage.
https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php

Also you could see if your city health department has free or low cost clinics he could use.

You must be very careful here, if you don't do it right you'll get royally screwed.

The size of the group is a big consideration. Is there more than 20 people in the group? If there is the employer cannot drop the group coverage. If there is less than 20 lives they can.

If the group coverage is dropped or if there are less than 20 lives on the policy and it continues for him he MUST be signed up for Part B or he will incur a penalty. Plus he will not receive coverage for doctor and outpatient procedures because Medicare pays first to the group policy. He also cannot get a Medicare Supplement nor a Medicare Advantage plan without having both parts A & B. Only if there are more than 20 lives on the group policy and he continues to work can he delay Part B. After he retires he must get on Part B within 8 months even if he is still on the group policy.

He can get Part D if he only has Part A. There are many plans available and most have the gap, or "donut hole". Medicare Supplement plans do not have Part D coverage although many Medicare Advantage plans do. Many times the higher premium for Part D without the donut hole is better in the long run. If the full price for his medication is $400 per month he will enter the donut hole in July. You'll need to analyze his medication to find the best plan.

Many independent agents will analyze his prescription costs for you. If you visit a local independent agent you can compare all the plans available to him.