It's that time of year where seniors have the opportunity to change their Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.  Open enrollment begins November 15 and ends December 31.  Seniors are encouraged to enroll or switch programs as early as possible to avoid any problems with prescription drug coverage starting in January.
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (or often referred to as Medicare Part D) covers prescription drugs and may help lower a person's prescription drug costs and helps protect against future higher costs.
So how does a senior know which is the best prescription drug plan for them?  A plan that has low premiums for the most coverage is ideal.  There are several ways a person can evaluate their current plan or search for alternative plans.  One way is on the internet at www.medicare.gov.  This website allows individuals the opportunity do a personalized search, which allows the person to enter in their personal information and their prescriptions; or by doing a general plan search, which allows people to search and review plans.  Navigating this website can sometimes be tedious and overwhelming, especially if multiple plans show up as alternatives...how do you choose?  The positive is that the website will list the plans in graph format in the order of most coverage to least coverage, just watch for premium costs.  Another way to evaluate your current plan or search for an alternative plan is to have your local pharmacist run your prescriptions in the Medicare system for you.  Another suggestion is to consult a professional care manager or medical social worker for guidance.  I do not suggest calling Medicare directly....I don't think I've ever talked to a human being on that phone line and callers are usually on hold for long periods of time.