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The categories of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found to the right. Simply click on one of the questions below or a category to the right.

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Medicare Part D - 1 General
• What is meant by the abbreviations: EA BA DS AE in the plan benefit type?
• Medicare Part D? What is it? How do I do to get it? Who pays for it? How do I enroll?
• What are the United States territories that are also covered by Medicare Part D prescription drug plans? What Medicare Part D plans will offer coverage in these area during 2009?
• Where can I get a Medical Power of Attorney form?
• What is Public Law No: 110-275 - Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 or MIPPA?
• What are the CMS Medicare Part D prescription drug plan regions?
• How many companies will be offering a Medicare Part D prescription drug plans on a national basis?
• Do people who sell Medicare drug plans have to be licensed insurance agents?
• Will the drugs covered by Medicare drug plans meet the needs of both seniors and people with disabilities?
• What is Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage?
Medicare Part D - 2 Before Enrolling
• Who actually calculates the amount of my late-enrollment penalty?
• If I enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan that has an initial deductible, will it have any impact on when I go into, or out, of the Doughnut Hole or Coverage Gap?
• I would like to enroll in a Cigna Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or Cigna Medicare Rx plan. Is there a pre-enrollment disclaimer that I can review before enrolling?
• Medicare Part D? What is it? How do I do to get it? Who pays for it? How do I enroll?
• What is the Initial Coverage Limit or drug cost ceiling before going into the donut hole or coverage gap? The limit seems to vary between Medicare Part D plan providers.
• Does prescription drug coverage under a Medigap (or Medicare Supplement) plan H, I or J qualify as “creditable coverage” for purposes of avoiding the Medicare Part D late enrollment premium penalty?
• Where can I get a Medical Power of Attorney form?
• What do I need to know if I have drug coverage from TRICARE, the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA), or the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB)?
• Will my drugs be covered?
• Should I join a Medicare drug plan even if I don't take many prescription drugs?
Medicare Part D - 3 Enrollment
• I would like to enroll in a Cigna Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or Cigna Medicare Rx plan. Is there a pre-enrollment disclaimer that I can review before enrolling?
• I am enrolling in a new Medicare Part D plan for next year. I still have enough of a 90 day prescription left from my old company plan to last me until February. Can I make my part D plan effective beginning February 1 to save the cost of the January Part D premium?
• Do any companies offer a non deductible and no pay in the donut hole? In the beginning of he Part D program they did for a higher premium then it was stopped.
• I just selected a Medicare Part D plan and now the CMS Part D plan ratings are online. Are the Plan ratings really important?
• Last year, my Part D prescription drug coverage was delayed because of a problem with my enrollment application. How can I avoid this problem this year?
• I didn’t enroll in a Medicare Part D plan when I was first eligible, how will I calculate my Part D premium penalty?
• I noticed that there are many different ways to pay our monthly Medicare Part D premiums. Is there one way to pay that is better than the others?
• Should I send a monthly payment in with my Medicare Part D enrollment form?
• What is the Initial Coverage Limit or drug cost ceiling before going into the donut hole or coverage gap? The limit seems to vary between Medicare Part D plan providers.
• I enrolled in a new Medicare Part D plan during the Annual Election Period, then, after speaking with some other people, I changed my mind and enrolled in another Part D plan. What happened if I enrolled in multiple Medicare Part D plans?
Medicare Part D - 4 After Enrolling and Living with your Part D Plan
• What should I do now that I am in the Donut Hole or Coverage Gap? Is there any way to save money or are there programs available to help people like me pay for my prescription drugs?
• What happens when we buy our prescriptions or medications in advance? For instance, what occurs if we buy a three-month supply of medication through mail order does this have any effect on when we enter the doughnut hole or coverage gap?
• I am spending a lot of money on drugs and my Part D plan. What part of my spending is not counted toward my prescription drug plan's Donut Hole?
• You say that I will enter my Medicare Part D plan's Doughnut Hole or Coverage Gap when my retail drug costs reach a certain dollar level that changes every year. What exactly do you mean by "retail drug costs"? Is that what I spend on all my pharmacy drugs or something else?
• When does a Medicare Part D beneficiary enter and exit the doughnut hole or coverage gap? The Doughnut Hole calculators seem to provide an estimate. But how does a Medicare Part D beneficiary really know exactly when they enter and leave the coverage gap?
• Why is Fioricet with codeine covered under Medicare Part D but not plain Fioricet?
• How does the Maryland SPDAP $1,200 Coverage Gap Subsidy work?
• I purchased these test strips and had to pay for them even though they are part of my diabetic supplies. The pharmacist said Medicare would refund this money, but they never have. Should my Medicare Part D plan reimburse these supplies?
• How does the premium grace period work on Medicare Part D plans?
• What are Medicare Part D plans required to do before an individual is disenrolled from the plan?
Medicare Part D - 5 Changing-Enrollment or Switching Medicare Part D Plans
• How do you disenroll from a Cigna Medicare Rx plan or Medicare Part D prescription drug plan?
• Will I lose my original Medicare Part A and Part B coverage if I enroll in Medicare Advantage Plan?
• Why did the monthly premium of my Medicare prescription drug plan almost double?
• I want to switch plans for next year. Do I have to contact my old plan?
• How is a person's previous prescription drug spending (or True Out of Pocket costs - TrOOP) affected if a Medicare Part D beneficiary switches Medicare Part D prescription drug plans? In other words, if you move to another Part D plan, do you start again from the beginning of the Part D plan?
• If I am in the coverage gap and I move and have to switch part d plans, will I be in the coverage gap in the new plan or start all over?
• I wish to disenroll from my Medicare Part D coverage. What should I do?
• When and how often can I switch my Medicare drug plan?
• How soon will I get a refund of any premiums that are withheld for my current plan after I enroll in a new plan? Who will the refund come from?
• What happens if I change plans and request automatic premium deductions from my Social Security benefits for my new plan, but the premium deduction from my previous plan doesn't stop?
Medicaid & Extra Help
• Are there any Medicare Part D prescription drug plans that are free for Medicare beneficiaries over the financial limits for Medicaid and Extra Help?
• How do I search for a Medicare Part D plan that qualifies for the $0 premium Low-Income Subsidy?
• I have a relative who is getting SSD along with health coverage. His mother just passed away and he will receive a substantial amount of funds from the sale of her estate. Can this effect his health coverage?
• Is Lifeline (personal response system) a covered benefit under Medicare if there is a medical indication for it?
• How will people know if their copayment amounts will change?
• How does this affect people who currently automatically qualify for extra help?
• What efforts are underway affecting people who qualify for extra help paying for their Medicare prescription drug coverage?
• What if people don't agree with Social Security's decision on "extra help"?
• What should people do if they think there's been a mistake determining their eligibility for extra help?
• Will everyone with extra help get a letter from Medicare or Social Security?
Other Common Questions
• How can I get a 2009 Medicare & You Handbook?
• I have a relative who is getting SSD along with health coverage. His mother just passed away and he will receive a substantial amount of funds from the sale of her estate. Can this effect his health coverage?
• Is Lifeline (personal response system) a covered benefit under Medicare if there is a medical indication for it?
• What are the Medicare premiums and coinsurance rates for 2008?
• Where can I get a Medical Power of Attorney form?
• I am asking you this question, because I do not know where or how to look up my question. I want to donate my body when I die, hoping it will help someone else. Can you please tell me a web site to go to.
• What do I do when a Medicare beneficiary dies?
• What if I have a prescription for a drug that isn't on my plan's list of covered drugs (formulary)?
• Do people who sell Medicare drug plans have to be licensed insurance agents?
• Can my doctor ask for an exception on my behalf?
Medicare Advantage Plans
• What are Coordinated Care Plans?
• Can we find more information about Medicare Advantage plans on the Q1Medicare.com site?
• Is a Medicare Advantage plan the best choice for most people?
• Are all Medicare Advantage Plans pretty much the same?
• I already have a Medicare Supplement Plan, can I also enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan?
• If I am not happy in my Medicare Advantage plan, can I go back to my Original Medicare Part A and Part B or my old Medicare Supplement coverage?
• Are Medicare Advantage Plans the same as Medicare Supplements?
• What is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Medicare Advantage Plan?
• Can anyone join a Medicare Advantage Plan?
• What is an HMO POS Medicare Advantage Plan?
Medicare Supplements
• I already have a Medicare Supplement Plan, can I also enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan?
• If I am not happy in my Medicare Advantage plan, can I go back to my Original Medicare Part A and Part B or my old Medicare Supplement coverage?
• Are Medicare Advantage Plans the same as Medicare Supplements?
The Coverage Gap or Donut Hole
• What should I do now that I am in the Donut Hole or Coverage Gap? Is there any way to save money or are there programs available to help people like me pay for my prescription drugs?
• If I have to pay 100% of my own drug costs when I go into the Doughnut Hole, why don’t I just stop paying my monthly Part D plan premiums?
• Can I avoid the Doughnut Hole if I buy a 90-day supply of my medications with the lower co-payment?
• I never got a report from my Part D plan showing how close I am to the Doughnut Hole. Shouldn’t I be getting a summary of my prescription drug spending?
• I think that I have already spent my way through this year’s Doughnut Hole. Is that possible?
• I purchased a Medicare Part D plan with coverage during the Doughnut Hole, so I guess I am protected throughout the year, right?
• How exactly does the Coverage Gap fit into my prescription drug plan?
• What costs do NOT count toward entering the Doughnut Hole?
• Will you enter the Doughnut Hole this year?
• What happens when we buy our prescriptions or medications in advance? For instance, what occurs if we buy a three-month supply of medication through mail order does this have any effect on when we enter the doughnut hole or coverage gap?
The Late-Enrollment Penalty
• Who actually calculates the amount of my late-enrollment penalty?
Q1Medicare Online Tool Tips
• Is there an online tool that shows me all of the prescription drugs covered by a specific Medicare Part D plan?
• Can we find more information about Medicare Advantage plans on the Q1Medicare.com site?
• What is the Q1Medicare PDP-Wizard?
• What is the tool that provides an estimate of the annual drug cost?
• How do I search for a Medicare Part D plan that qualifies for the $0 premium Low-Income Subsidy?
• What is the Q1Medicare PDP-Compare tool?
• What is the Q1Medicare PDP-Finder tool?

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Latest Added FAQs

•	What are Coordinated Care Plans? Coordinated Care Plans are Medicare Advantage plans or Medicare Health plans that offer health care . . .
•	Are there any Medicare Part D prescription drug plans that are free for Medicare beneficiaries over the financial limits for Medicaid and Extra Help? There are no Medicare Part D plans that are totally "free" to low-income Medicare benef . . .
•	Is there an online tool that shows me all of the prescription drugs covered by a specific Medicare Part D plan? Yes. We now have our Formulary Browser online.Now, or anytime throughout the year, you can bro . . .
•	Can we find more information about Medicare Advantage plans on the Q1Medicare.com site? Yes. We now provide Medicare Advantage plan searches on Q1Medicare using our MA-Finder.Medicar . . .
•	What is the Q1Medicare PDP-Wizard? If you are thinking about changing Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and don’t know wher . . .


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