October 2014

We are here to make this easy. If this pertains to you, your parents, grandparents, whomever, please let me help you. From October 15 – December 7, is a window of time that you can change your prescription drug plan, effective January 1, 2015. How and why would you want to do that?

Medicare's enrollment period for Medicare Part D (PDP) only comes once a year. The dates this year are October 15 - December 7. If you are 65 and over, this is the time you can change your Medicare drug plan. If you do enroll in a plan during this Open Enrollment Period (OEP), your coverage starts January 1, 2015.

Prescription drugs can be expensive. Wellmark originally had two plans to choose from. How you decided which plan to choose was determined by your individual prescription drug list. We can generate a report that includes your premium, any deductibles, co-pays for your specific drug list that will net us a bottom line answer in terms of the dollars we should expect to pay for any given year.

What has changed for 2015 is the choices have been expanded. Wellmark now has a MedicareBlue Rx Value Plus plan that has different cost sharing options. There is a preferred and a standard option within this plan for your cost sharing. Check out the blue grid that shows these three plans. We have a very limited time to get everybody positioned for January 1, 2015. Please call us, we'll be happy to run your drug list and advise you accordingly.

MedicareBlue Rx has earned a four star rating from CMS for 2014.

Wellmark has come up with a plan that is truly coordinated care. UnityPoint providers, Hy-Vee Pharmacies and Wellmark have come up with an affordable ACA-Health Insurance option. These plans are available to employers located in 31 Iowa counties. Your business must be located in one of these counties, but your employees need not reside in the county. The members can receive care at any provider, anywhere, but their cost-share will vary depending on which tier their provider is in. They will receive the lowest cost-share visiting a tier one provider in Iowa. Why is this important? Coordinated care reduces claims, keeps employees healthy (reduces absenteeism) and it lowers your premium. If I was to compare this to a traditional PPO plan,you'll more than likely pay less for a BlueRewards plan. Don't renew your existing plan without checking this out. If your agent is other than Sears Insurance, and they haven not mentioned this new and exciting product, call me!
 

Deb's Tip

The old adage, you get what you pay for, couldn't hold more true when it comes to our choices for health insurance and prescription drug options. It is extremely important to know and understand "your network providers" who you have the privilege of seeing or not.
 

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Debra Sears
Sears Insurance, Inc.
515-285-6766
Email: searsdebra@aol.com
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