On the KHN blog, Ankita Rao reports on a study of seniors paying too much for Medicare Part D. I suspect it occurs because the retirees are fearful that they will lose their ability to get their medications. Healthcare Managers understand the anxiety of the seniors.
AnKita Rao reported: “Seniors spent on average $368 more than they needed to on drug coverage through Medicare Part D plans in 2009 — their decisions complicated by the sheer volume of plans available and difficulties involved in determining what makes a plan a good choice, a Health Affairs study released Tuesday has found.”
There are 1,736 plans available to Medicare beneficiaries for purchasing prescription drugs through Medicare’s Part D program, and, based on 2009 data, that’s about 50 plans per region.
The study authors found, though, that only 5.2 percent of Medicare recipients chose the most economic Part D plan available. This happened despite video tutorials, online materials and printed information guiding seniors to choose an appropriate plan.
READ MORE: http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2012/10/study-seniors-overspend-on-medicare-part-d/
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Jerry Lovrien has held positions of Chief Executive Officer at health and behavioral health facilities in Minnesota and Washington State. He served successfully as State Director/Commissioner of Health and Behavioral Health in Georgia, West Virginia and Minnesota. Jerry has taught high school through graduate courses and is currently an Instructor with Broadview University.
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