Medicare offers insurance coverage for prescription drugs. This voluntary coverage is called Part D and is available to all people with Medicare. If you already are enrolled in Medicare or interested in reviewing your Medicare coverage, the resources below may help provide resources below provide information about Part D. NOF will continue adding appropriate resources as they become available.

Medicare Open Enrollment Period is October 15 through December 7, 2011
Click here for Medicare Enrollment
Whether you are a new or current Medicare beneficiary, take advantage of the annual Open Enrollment Period to make sure you have the best coverage available to meet your healthcare needs. The Medicare Open Enrollment Period begins earlier this year and starts on Saturday, October 15, giving seniors and those with disabilities more time to compare and find the best plan to meet their unique needs.

Medicare covers bone density testing and new prescription drug and health plan coverage choices are offered every year. Schedule a “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam and take advantage of the many preventive services, including bone density testing, available to you.
If you are a current Medicare beneficiary, schedule a “Wellness Exam” and ask your doctor if you should have a bone density test. Medicare covers both this yearly check-up and the bone density test.

Review the 2012 Medicare Prescription Drug Annual Open Enrollment Q&A for answers to important questions that will help you during the Annual Open Enrollment Period.

Resources for Medicare Beneficiaries

Take advantage of the many additional resources available from Medicare.gov to help you make smart choices during the Open Enrollment Period.

• Visit www.medicare.gov to get a personalized comparison of costs and coverage of the plans available in your area. The Medicare Plan Finder and Medicare Options Compare tools have been enhanced for an efficient review of plan choices. Multilingual Open Enrollment information and counseling is available.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for around-the-clock assistance to find out more about coverage options. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Multilingual counseling is available.
• Review the 2012 Medicare & You handbook. It is accessible online at: http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf and has been mailed to the homes of people with Medicare.
• Get one-on-one counseling assistance from the local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Local SHIP contact information can be found:
  • At http://www.medicare.gov/contacts/organization-search-criteria.aspx;
  • On the back of the 2011 Medicare & You handbook;
  • By calling Medicare (contact information above); or
  • Through a listing of national stand-alone prescription drug plans and State specific fact sheets that can be found at:   http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/openenrollment.asp

Medicare Interactive

Medicare Interactive is your one-stop source for information on Medicare benefits and options, including information about the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.
www.medicarerights.org

Medicare Access for Patients Rx

The Medicare Access for Patients Rx Web site provides information specifically about the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, including links to federal, state and local resources that may be of assistance.
www.MapRx.info

Medicare Web site

The official U.S. government Web site for people with Medicare. You can enroll through this Web site in the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Medicare now provides a tip sheet for beneficiaries with Part D on the coverage gap (a period of limited or no drug coverage that exists in some Part D insurance plans, once the cost of your medications (both what you and the plan pay) reaches $2,930). Coverage returns when you have paid $4,700 out-of-pocket (including both your personal pre-gap spending and expenses incurred during the gap) for medications during a calendar year. Click here to view this tip sheet.
www.medicare.gov