Page 4 - Cover letter and evaluation for Geoffrey Newman

policies can be good choices if they are attractively priced, but you should be aware that your
premiums may rise more quickly than with many other insurers. After you turn 75, the AARP
premiums may increase more slowly.

In addition to discounts, some insurers provide extra benefits such as membership in Silver
Sneakers, which give you access to more than 12,000 gyms and health clubs nationally.

Medicare Assignment

All your physicians are listed on the Medicare web site as accepting Medicare’s approved rates
(or Medicare assignment), as shown in Appendix A. Some doctors will accept Medicare patients
but not accept assignment, in which case they can charge up to 15% more. Plans F and G cover
this 15% excess charge, while Plans N and L do not.

Rx Drug Plan Coverage

People who have Medigap policies are required to have Part D stand-alone plans. If you want to
continue getting monthly refills at CVS, the plan with the lowest annual costs is the Express
Scripts Medicare – Saver prescription drug plan. Its estimated annual costs for the drugs that
you take are $502, which includes premiums and co-pays. You can see more details about this
plan’s costs and coverage in Appendix D3.

If you are willing to switch to Walgreens for your monthly refills, you can lower your costs by
enrolling in the AARP MedicareRx Walgreens prescription drug plan, where the estimated
annual costs for the drugs you take is $455. And you can save the most if you are willing to
switch to this plan’s mail-order refills, where the estimated annual costs for the Rx drugs you
take is $423. Your actual savings will be less since you won’t be enrolled for the full year.

Most Part D stand-alone plans have preferred pharmacies where you can get lower prices, and
so in whichever plan you choose, find out if you can save money by using a specific pharmacy.
Even if you switch to mail-order refills, if you ever need an expensive (brand-name) drug for a
short-term prescription, you may save money by using your plan’s preferred pharmacies.

When you enroll in the Part D stand-alone plan that you choose, ask whether your prescriptions
can be transferred from your current student health plan coverage to the new plan. In some
cases prescriptions can be transferred, even when different insurance companies are involved.
If you decide to switch to mail-order refills, however, you will need new prescriptions. It’s also
important to review your Part D plan’s costs each year during annual open enrollment (October
15-December 7) and switch plans if you can save a meaningful amount.

How to enroll in the plans you choose

To enroll in a Part D stand-alone plan, you can either call the plan’s toll-free number, shown on
page 4 of your evaluation, or you can call 800-MEDICARE. When you enroll, make sure that you

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