Do you need Medicare drug coverage?

Medicare prescription drug coverage is available to beneficiaries with Medicare Part A and/or Part B who choose to enroll in Medicare Part D. Enrollment in a Medicare prescription drug coverage plan began Nov. 15, 2005, and continues through May 15, 2006. Medicare-eligible beneficiaries who do not enroll by May 16, 2006, will be able to enroll annually between November 15 and December 31.

If TRICARE-Medicare beneficiaries decide not to enroll in a Medicare drug plan during the open enrollment periods, but change their minds later, they may do so without paying the late enrollment penalty.

TRICARE pays on average as much or more than a standard Medicare prescription drug plan. In fact fFor nearly all TRICARE-Medicare beneficiaries, there is no added value in purchasing Medicare prescription drug coverage. The exception is for beneficiaries with limited incomes and assets who qualify for Medicare’s low-income subsidy. These beneficiaries may benefit by enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan.

For more information, go to http://www.tricare.osd.mil/medicarepartd ; http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicarereform/Tricare.pdf; http://www.medicare.gov; or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).