part D insurance 2025

[grover99]

Just got my information on my Medicare prescription drug coverage for next year. At first look my premiums dropped from $103 to $46 a month. Great, but closer look shows that the copays and deductible have gone way up so I will be paying far more than I was paying for drugs this year. Health care and prescription costs are more than most people can afford so you buy insurance to cover them. Now however the premiums are getting to the point that they are also unaffordable. The cost of living is exceeding my SS and my pension nowdays. Was doing fine just 4 years ago. What could of happened?

 

[Rotorhead1026]

You can look for a cheaper plan on the Medicare website.

 

[Warren Sear]

Be sure to vote wisely in the upcoming presidential election.

 

[mckenney99]

I'm fairly new to Medicare (Russian) Roulette and this year my Part G plan went up about 15% but was still the best plan available for me. I just got notified that my current Part D plan will increase 60% for 2025. I guess I'm going to have to start the search for a new drug plan. I am lucky that I currently only take 2 Rx's but if I had to pay for one of them out of pocket, it is listed as $1500 for a 90 day supply. I am also counting on the fact that Part A & B premiums will go up again for 2025. Getting old sucks majorly in more ways than one.

 

[Imissedagain]

Veterans can check to see if they are eligible for
VA healthcare.

 

[YeshuaIsa53]

Are people in their seventies getting hired these days?

 

[mojave30cal]

I am enrolled in the VA Healthcare system. I also have Medicare,
but not the Plan D. I get my meds from the VA for cheap. I
have a VA primary doctor I see once a year to stay enrolled
in the program. Can't complain.

 

[biku324]

Are people in their seventies getting hired these days?

I'm 69 and got the best contract of my life in May. Five-year contract IF I want to keep working.

 

[Super Trucker]

It all started with the Unaffordable Health Care Act.

I have had a chronic condition for 47 years, so I have a little experience with Dr visits, lab visits, hospital stays, prescription medications, etc and there was never an issue until that happened.

I noticed my part D is changing for 25 also, went from no prescription deductible to $1k deductible. Regular deductible is going from $4k to $7.5k office visits costs up $10 and that's what I've noticed, hard to say what's hidden.

It did say the donut hole is going away so that is a positive.

It's simple to understand what caused it, but this forum doesn't allow speaking about it.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Still have Tricare prescription benefits.
Have Medicare but without the Part D.
Get my two generic meds from Tricare contractor Express Scripts.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Are people in their seventies getting hired these days?

That's not exactly just joking, actually. Two of us who recently retired from my last job have been offered "consulting" jobs for the depreciated Steamfitter Dept., consulting on the pneumatic/electronic controls and for the Main Food Service's Freezer/cooler warehouses' refrigeration. They have nobody and have to contract out. We both respectfully declined. (BTW, we're both under 70.) My old boss, same thing.
I know I could probably get a job driving an Access van. Just for one day would be cool. I'd drive 2 MPH during rush hour traffic.

 

[biku324]

Employers like us Boomers because we show up, know how to work, and don't feel like sitting in front of a screen all day.

 

[SMSgt]

You can look for a cheaper plan on the Medicare website.

With all, what you gain in one hand, you lose in the other.

 

[s&wchad]

... if I had to pay for one of them out of pocket, it is listed as $1500 for a 90 day supply...

I've read that starting in 2025, the maximum out of pocket for a drug on Part D is $2000. My brothers wife was out of pocket $8000 just a few years ago.

 

[Onomea]

I originally had original medicare and a Plan D (or was it Plan F?) plan for drugs. At this point I forget the monthly out of pocket costs, but after a few years, and when my wife reached 65, I found a medicare broker who reviewed my prescription drugs and discussed with us our coverage needs (coverage when traveling, out of network coverage, and access to nationally renowned cancer hospitals, for example) and recommended a Medicare Advantage plan to us.

This has saved us money.

Medicare Advantage plans get a lot of bad publicity, and some plans, I am sure, are bad. But there are a whole bunch of them, and which ones you can buy, and what coverage they have, is based on the county where you live.

It's quite byzantine in its complexity, so a state-licensed medicare broker helps a lot in figuring this out.

 

[Grayfox]

I got a letter from my supplemental health insurance provider the other day. It says my part D prescription supplement will be discontinued as of 12-31.
I guess I'll have to go shopping and I hate it!
Any suggestions?

 

[grover99]

I got a letter from my supplemental health insurance provider the other day. It says my part D prescription supplement will be discontinued as of 12-31.
I guess I'll have to go shopping and I hate it!
Any suggestions?

. The government has made it so complex that I would bet your insurance company didn't want to deal with it.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Must be time for my yearly PSA about SHIIP - Seniors Health Insurance Information Program. I think every state has one. These are free programs, largely staffed by volunteers. I know two retired Social Security District Managers who volunteer their time.

They will not sell you anything. You can schedule an appointment to be done over the phone or in a local office. They have access to a lot of information to give you your best options.

Be sure to have your a list of your medications and chronic health costs available if you talk to someone. They tell you that when you make the appointment, but about 25% don't, because . . . people.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have an AETNA supplemental plan. I have 5 prescriptions that I require daily.

The only one that has an OOP payment is my NORCO which is $35.

I'm good to go.

 

[Empe]

Are people in their seventies getting hired these days?

I work at a sizeable dealership with about 100 employees and there are a fair number of people in their 70's with at least one person at or near 80.
They all seem to have a few things in common ...they show up every day... on time and do their jobs.
Probably not as quickly as they used to but they're there and they do get the jobs done .

 

[Bullet Bob]

Years ago I used to know a couple of retired guys who worked at different dealers. They mostly did things like drive cars to different dealers for exchanges - Dealer A had a car that a customer at Dealer B wanted, and and off they'd go. Sometimes they would go to 3 or 4 different dealers, exchanging cars. I guess at large dealers stuff like that was always in motion.

They enjoyed it, and dealers got guys with proven driving records who were mature enough not to beat up the transfer vehicles.

 

[grover99]

I have an AETNA supplemental plan. I have 5 prescriptions that I require daily.

The only one that has an OOP payment is my NORCO which is $35.

I'm good to go.

I also have AETNA WITH 5 prescriptions with 0 copay and one with $47 copay. Next year all of the 0 copays go to $5 and the $47 goes to $108 with a deductible of $560. Hope my insurance agent who I see later this month has something better.

 

[Mike0251]

Status – 69, retired, social security, medicare, plan g, and a plan D. Living comfortably. No complaints.

Opted for a no cost plan D last year as I do not need to take any drugs. Did end up needing Alpurinol to lower uric acid, no charge when picked up. Then needed some prednisone in case of a gout flare up, $3. Does not happen often anymore, now educated on that.

All good so far. Then I had my yearly exam and blood work. Hep C was detected. Are you kidding me? WTH! This led to liver and other scans (all good) and more blood work. Yup Hep C 1a the most common.

We now have some fantastic drugs out there to cure this in 2-3 months, otherwise it will mess up your liver and eventually kill you. Ok fine, lets move forward with that please.

These are not ordinary drugs, they are tier 5, keep that in mind for the max $2000 2025 out of pocket, don't believe they are covered for that 2K.

Back to the prescription, imagine my shock when after the co-pay it was only going to cost me $3200 per month. Full cost $23,000 per month! OMG how am I going to pay for this? And that was the best price. Goodrx is $9000 just in case you wondered about that. And there were no more openings for help available with this particular drug and its manufacturer. I need it for 2-3 months depending on brand/type.

Spoke with the doctor, she changed the drug to a different manufacturer and their type (2 months). They reached out to me, submitted some forms/info to them for help. Nothing drastic. And then hoped I would be accepted with no idea as to level of help.

Last week I was contacted and approved for NO COST to me! I broke down in tears of joy and cried like a baby. A gift from above. First shipment coming this Wed and sig required. 3 pills a day, 2 months, 98% cure rate! Some side effects, nothing terrible. I can do this!!

In closing, it seems hep C can be with you for decades before it decides to show itself. I have learned a lot about this unfortunately. But I am fortunate, no body damage at all including arteries. And I have lived a clean life too, nothing that would have given me this. Makes me wonder about lab work done, right? Also, no matter the plan D some higher tiered drugs may not be covered very well. Keep that in mind.

God bless, I'm still here!

 

[Onomea]

Wow, Mike. Quite a story. Very glad you were able to get the drugs you need at no cost.

(I was diagnosed with Hep C in the mid 1990s. Was not prescribed any drugs, but was told I had to stop drinking alcohol or it would kill me. I stopped for a year. Then I was told, "Oops! Misdiagnosis! You don't have Hep C after all!" Thank goodness!)

 

[Bugkiller99]

Wow, Mike. Quite a story. Very glad you were able to get the drugs you need at no cost.

(I was diagnosed with Hep C in the mid 1990s. Was not prescribed any drugs, but was told I had to stop drinking alcohol or it would kill me. I stopped for a year. Then I was told, "Oops! Misdiagnosis! You don't have Hep C after all! Thank goodness!)

The early Hepatitis C tests were not very good. Designed to test donated blood, so the goal was to be extremely sensitive (have a lot of false positives) so that no tainted blood hit the shelves.
I tested positive when I donated blood many years ago. Confirmatory testing proved this to be a false positive. But the blood bank put me on the no fly list. Years later I got a notification I was eligible to donate blood again. Tested negative many times afterwards with each donation.

 

[H Richard]

I recommend seeing a "qualified" Insurance agent that specializes in Medicare supplement insurance and Medicare advantage plans. They know what is out there to fit your particular situation.

 

[CalifEd]

I recommend seeing a "qualified" Insurance agent that specializes in Medicare supplement insurance and Medicare advantage plans. They know what is out there to fit your particular situation.

My Credit Union has seminars on Medical Insurance and 401k/IRA Investments a couple of times a year.

On the last one they had a Social Security guru talk to us. He knew all the TLA's (their office conversations must be a hoot) and options available but he was able to bring these things down to the mere mortal level; one of the best ones they had.