Charts
- Snapshot of Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP) and Medicare Advantage plan offerings in California for 2008
- List of Medicare PDP plans in California (PDF) for 2008. Chart contains:
- plan phone number
- premium amount
- whether or not it’s a ‘benchmark’ plan for people with the full low-income subsidy
- the annual drug deductible amount and
- the type of additional coverage offered during the donut hole coverage gap
- List of Medicare PDP benchmark plans (PDF) for people receiving low-income subsidy. Also available is a Spanish version PDF.
Fact Sheets
The following fact sheets are updated for 2008. They are an excellent tool for advocates and for counseling beneficiaries on their Medicare coverage and health care rights and options. All are PDF files:
- Medicare: an Overview (A-003)
- 2008 Premiums, Co-insurance & Deductibles (Original Fee-for-Service Medicare) (A-005)
- Supplementing Medicare: an Overview (B-001)
- Medigap Plans (B-002)
- Medicare Advantage (Part C): an Overview (C-001)
- Medicare Part D: an Overview (D-001)
- When Your Part D Prescription is Denied (D-003)
- Extra Help for Part D Costs (E-003)
California HealthCare Foundation Part D Fact Sheet for 2008:
- The Medicare Drug Benefit: Changes in California for 2008 (PDF) - This fact sheet summarizes several important changes that California Medicare beneficiaries should consider during this year’s annual enrollment period even if they are happy with their current plan. Some of the key findings include:
- California Medicare beneficiaries will have more plans to choose from in 2008, especially those who would like to receive their drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan (MA-PD).
- Most beneficiaries enrolled in PDPs will have a sharp rise in premiums if they choose to remain in their current plan, while most beneficiaries in MA-PDs will see their premiums decrease or remain the same.
- The average increase in PDP premiums for California beneficiaries who stay in their current plan is almost twice the national average.
- Most plans will provide some generic drug coverage within the Part D ‘donut hole’ – the gap between the initial coverage limit and the threshold for catastrophic coverage. Brand-name drug coverage in the donut hole will only be available in a few MA-PDs.
- Like 2007, most plans will not require beneficiaries to pay a deductible before receiving their drug coverage.
- California’s beneficiaries receiving the low-income subsidy (LIS) who are enrolled in a ‘benchmark plan’ (plans whose premiums are low enough to be covered by the LIS) will have fewer options in 2008. A significant proportion of these beneficiaries will have to switch plans to receive their full federal subsidy and thus avoid paying higher premiums.