The geniuses at CMS have apparently decided to limit access to your prescription drug history. For years I have collected your drug information, entered it in the Medicare Plan Finder and sent you a report to verify the drug names, dosages, etc are accurate.
Then I ran the reports to pick the overall LOWEST COST plans. For 2019 there are 26 different plans. Each one has a drug formulary. None are identical. Each carrier has specific pharmacy’s that should be used that result in the LOWEST copay.
The MAJORITY of plans have a DEDUCTIBLE which almost always produces lower premiums AND copay’s.
Most drug plans OVERCHARGE (higher copay’s) for generic drugs. In many cases you will pay less by using GoodRx or a similar plan and paying CASH.
Some comparisons took only 10 minutes.
Others were more complicated and required 20 - 30 minutes.
Until now I could call up your most recent drug list by entering your Drug List ID and Password Date. There was NO personal information stored in Medicare computers.
Your name was not on the report. Only your zip code. Social Security numbers or Medicare numbers were not stored.I have been told that “anonymous” reports will no longer be stored as of October 1. We also lose the ability to call up old reports and import them into the new system.
The ONLY way to store your information is in a secure, password protected file created by YOU.
This seems to be modeled after the MyMedicare account that stores your claim history and other PHI (protected health information).
Your MyMedicare account requires a password change every 60 days. Even if you created an account and gave me your password so I could login and run reports for you, if your password has changed, or needs to be changed prior to access, I will not be able to get in.
Entering drug information by hand every time is time consuming and potentially inaccurate. If I misspell the name of the drug I get no results or something that is completely wrong.
Drug plans don’t pay the bills around here but I do it as a SERVICE to my clients. Almost everyone saves money with a yearly drug plan review. The average savings is $60 per month (premium + copays). One year I had two clients that were going to save over $500 per month.
I am checking to see if there is a work around where I can still access and run reports for you, but it doesn’t look good.
You will be updated in next month’s newsletter.
