Medicare open enrollment help is available

The open enrollment period in Iowa for Medicare recipients ends Thursday, December 7th. Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) volunteers are available to meet with people in Decorah to help them sort through the many different options, to make sure they are getting the right coverage and the most bang for their buck.

Four things to focus on during open enrollment are:

• Drugs covered: The drugs you take need to be on the plan's formulary.  If a drug isn't covered, you will pay the full cost of the drug out of your pocket.
  
  
• Total cost: Calculate the total cost of the drug plan, not just the premium or deductible or co-payments.  A plan with a deductible may cost less than a plan without a deductible if all your drugs are covered and the costs for each drug tier are lower.
  
  
• Restrictions: There may be restrictions on the quantity of certain drugs, or requirements to get approval before filling a prescription or trying similar lower cost drugs before a more expensive drug is covered.
  
  
• Pharmacies: Some plans have both preferred and standard pharmacies in their network. You may pay less for drugs at a preferred pharmacy. If your pharmacy is not in-network, you will pay the full cost for your drugs.
  
  

Call SHIIP at 1-800-351-4664 for help.  SHIIP is a free, confidential service of the State of Iowa that helps Iowans make informed decisions about Medicare and other health coverage.