I am on Medicare part A and B. My wife works and we have prescription drug insurance through her present employer. What do I have to do? Will I be able to get on Medicare Part D if she retires in a few years or loses her job?
If you are currently enrolled in Medicare, you are eligible for a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.
However, you may not need Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage if your wife's present insurance provides "creditable" prescription drug coverage.
In fact, enrolling in a Medicare Part D program could actually jeopardize the coverage you receive from your wife's employer. Some employer health coverage plans that have prescription drug coverage will not operate in parallel to a Medicare Part D plan and you will be automatically dis-enrolled from the employer plan when you enroll in a Medicare Part D plan (that is, you may lose all coverage for the sake of only prescription drug coverage). You or your wife should contact the administrator of the employee health plan for more details.
Let me add, that if your wife's plan is considered "creditable" (providing prescription drug coverage that is at least as good as a Medicare Part D plan), you can stay on your wife's plan and then move to a Medicare Part D plan after your wife no longer works for her employer - without the risk of paying a penalty.
Again, check with your wife's present employee plan administrator for more information and to determine whether the present coverage is "creditable".