The Independent

The Independent: "Medicare D: A hard pill to swallow

Saturday, October 15, 2005

By ERIN PUSTAY

Erin.Pustay@IndeOnline.com
PHOTO BY GLENN B. DETTMAN

/the independent

Leana Colby straightens the shelves at Heritage Square Pharmacy in Canal Fulton.

Here’s the honest truth about Medicare Part D: It’s complicated, confusing and time consuming, but it can be understood.

Medicare Part D is a prescription drug insurance plan (PDP) that may or may not be right for everyone, but it is still important to understand the workings of the new system. Especially since there are monetary penalties for those who put off joining the program once they are qualified.

If the purpose of Medicare Part D could be boiled down into a single line of thinking, it is that every senior citizen in the United States should have affordable prescription drugs. The Federal Government tried to make this possible through the legislation of Medicare Plan D.

In a nutshell

Medicare Part D is a competitive market in which insurance providers submit prescription coverage plans that vary in cost and medication coverage. Eligible persons are asked to examine the coverage plans and choose the one that best suits their prescription needs."