If you have an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan, Aetna or First Health Medicare Part D plan you may be in for a big surprise. The preferred pharmacy’s listed on Medicare.gov for these plans and carriers was not completely correct. As a result, when you fill your prescription at a non-preferred pharmacy you may pay a much higher price for your medication.
This alert published today on California Health Advocates and applies to retirees in all states including Georgia.
(If you have an Aetna Medicare or First Health plan) you may find that your pharmacy is no longer a network pharmacy. Pharmacies that are not in your plan’s network can charge you more, even full price, for your drugs.
CHA was alerted that incorrect information was posted on the Medicare Plan Finder and other Aetna sites during the last Annual Enrollment Period, aka Open Enrollment. Pharmacies no longer contracted with Aetna as network pharmacies were incorrectly listed as such. Beneficiaries may have relied on the incorrect information and enrolled in an Aetna Medicare or First Health Part D plan. Medicare is allowing beneficiaries affected by the incorrect information a Special Election Period to change plans. An estimated 50,000 beneficiaries may be affected.
Using your Medicare Part D plan at a non-par pharmacy means you will pay a much higher price, even possibly full retail. You should take advantage of this special enrollment period to evaluate your Part D coverage and consider making a change to a different plan.
Georgia Medicare Plans routinely reviews drug plans for our Medigap clients and makes recommendations that often save our clients $1,000 per year or more in out of pocket drug costs.
Even if you are not a current client but would like an independent review we are glad to assist. You are welcome to call or email your request.
We often find that many people are overpaying for their Medicare supplement plan. It is not unusual to find savings of $450 per year by changing carriers without losing coverage. If you have plan F we can usually show you even greater savings from plan G if you are willing to consider nominal cost sharing.
If you qualify for a special election period we can help. CMS has granted this exception for those with Aetna Medicare Advantage or Aetna and First Health Part D plans where the information on Medicare.gov was misleading.
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