Tag Archive for: Medicare Part D

Changes to Medicare Part D in 2024 and 2025

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The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 put into play some major changes to Medicare Part D enrollees. The purpose of the changes was to reduce out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs.

I always recommend Medicare enrollees review their current plan and current and anticipated medications to make sure they have the best plan for optimal coverage. Always remember that there is a separate co-pay, deductible, premium, and max out-of-pocket from your Medicare health insurance plan. 

Let’s review these upcoming changes to the current plan. In 2023, there are 4 distinct Phases to Medicare Part D, where the cost-sharing drug costs paid by Part D enrollees, Part D plans, drug manufacturers, and Medicare varies. 

Comparisons 2023-2025: 

  1. Deductible phase

    Enrollees pay 100% of their drug costs, up to $505. Note: not all Part D plans charge a deductible, however in the stand-alone Part D plans, many enrolled are responsible for a standard deductible.

  2. Initial Coverage phase

    Part D enrollees pay 25% of total drug costs and Part D plans pay 75%, up to total costs of $4660. Most Part D plans charge a mix of copayments and coinsurance rather than a standard 25% coinsurance rate.

    2025 changes     – Drug manufacturers will be required to provide a 10% discount on brand-name drugs. This will replace the 70% price discount in the coverage gap phase under the current benefit design. Part D plans will pay 60% of brand-name drug costs.

  3. Coverage Gap phase

    Part D enrollees pay 25% of the total drug costs for both brand-name and generic drugs. Part D plans pay the remainder 75% of generic drug costs and 5% of brand costs.  Drug manufacturers provide 70% price discounts on brands. Note there is no manufacturer price discount on any generic drug.

    2025 changes include    : A new $2,000 out-of-pocket cap. (This cap does not apply to out-of-pocket spending on Part B drugs), elimination of the coverage gap phase, a higher share of drug costs paid by Part D plans in the catastrophic phase, along with a new manufacturer price discount and reduced liability for Medicare in this phase, and changes to plan costs and the manufacturer price discount in the initial coverage phase.

  4. Catastrophic phase

    Medicare pays 80% of total drug cost, part D plans pay 15% and Part D enrollees pay 5%. Part D enrollees qualify for catastrophic coverage when the amount that they pay out of pocket plus the value of the manufacturer discount on the price of brand-name drugs in the coverage gap phase exceeds a certain threshold amount set at $7,400,  of which enrollees pay $3100 out of pocket before reaching catastrophic phase. This is based on the cost of brand-name drugs only.

2024 Changes – 5% coinsurance requirement for Part D enrollees will be eliminated and Part D plan will pay 20% of total drug costs instead of 15%. For Part D Enrollees without low-income subsidies, once drug spending is high enough to qualify for catastrophic coverage, they will no longer be required to pay 5% of their drug costs, meaning out-of-pocket is capped. 

2024 Changes – the catastrophic threshold is capped at $8,000. This includes what Part D enrollees spend out of pocket plus the value of the manufacturer price discount on brands in the coverage gap phase. Meaning, in 2024 Part D enrollees who take only brand-named drugs will have spent about $3300.00 out of pocket and then will have no more additional cost for these drugs.

2025 Changes – Medicare’s share of total cost in the catastrophic phase (reinsurance, ) will decrease from 80% to 20% for brand-name drugs and from 80% to 40% for generics. Medicare Part D plans’ share of the costs will increase from 15% to 60% for both brands and generics above the cap, and drug manufacturers will be required to provide a 20% price discount on brand-name drugs. 

This is very important for those who are taking high-cost cancer drugs such as Revlimid, Pomalyst, Imbruvia, Jakafi, and Ibrance. These drugs have the highest per capita Part D expenditures in 2021. The annual out-of-pocket costs for these cancer drugs range from $11,000 to almost $15,000, and in the catastrophic phase, out-of-pocket costs per drug in 2021 ranged from around $8,000 to nearly $12,000. So eliminating the 5% coinsurance requirement in the catastrophic phase in 2024 means that Part D enrollees without low-income subsidies who use these and/or other high-cost cancer drugs covered by Part D will realize thousands of dollars in savings. You can see the savings especially if you use more than one of these medications.

Additional Changes to Medicare Part D

2024 Changes

  • People with Medicare who have incomes up to 150% of federal poverty level and resources at or below the limits for partial low-income subsidy benefits will be eligible for full benefits under Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) Program. The partial LIS benefit currently in place for individuals with incomes between 135% and 150% of Federal Poverty Levels.will be eliminated.
  • The calculation of the base benficiary premium will be adjusted, as needed, to limit the increases in the base premium to no more than 6% from prior year values. Note: Premiums for individual Part D premiums and annual plan-level premium increases will continue to vary.

2025 Changes

  • Part D enrollees will have the option of spreading out their out of pocket costs over the year rather than face high out of pocket costs in any given month. 

So how do you decide how to choose Medicare Drug coverage?

Take an inventory of your needs, now and in the near future. Look at your priorities. Here are a few things to consider when planning:

  1. What are the drugs you are taking or anticipate taking? Make sure the drug plan you are considering are on that plans formulary. Then, compare the costs.
  2. If you need protection forn high prescription costs, as is very common for a lot of cancer drugs, look for drug plans offering coverage in the coverage gap, if applicable, and check with these plans to make sure they cover your drugs in the gap.
  3. If you need to make sure your drug costs share is balanced throughout the year, refer to drug plans with no or low deductibles, or with additional coverage in the coverage gap.
  4. If you take a lot of generic medications, look at a Medicare drug plan with tiers that charge you nothing or low copayments for generics.
  5. If you don’t have many drug cost now but want to make sure you have coverage “just in case” to avoid future penalties and for peace of mind, consider Medicare drug plans with low monthly premiums. If you need prescription drugs in the future, all plans must cover most drugs used by Medicare enrollees.
  6. If you prefer the extra benefits and lower cost available by getting your healthcare and prescription drug coverage from one plan, and, you don’t mind possible restrictions on the doctors, hospitals and other heathcare providers you can use, then consider a Medicare Advantage Plan which has this all bundled into one. Again if you have multiple specialist and complex healthcare needs consider your options carefully.

Again, I encourage everyone to review their options and make the beat choice for you and your family. And most importantly, review yearly.  Don’t just look at the cost of premiums when making a decision. When you have expensive medications especially for cancer, it’s important that you stay on treatment. Knowing your options ahead of time and planing for associated cost will help prevent you from beoming financially stressed. Talk with your healthcare provider’s. Ask about generic medication options. Work with the social workers or patient advocates at your healthcare center to search out co-pay, deductible, premium assistance programs available from pharma as well as non-profits that can help you meet your financial obligations for out of pocket expenses.

Resources:

Changes to Medicare Part D in 2024 and 2025 Under the Inflation Reduction Act and How Enrollees Will Benefit

Medicare.gov

How Medicare Covers Cancer in 2019

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Cancer is a much more common disease than we’d like to believe. According to the National Cancer Institute, 38.4% of the people in the United States will be diagnosed with some kind of cancer during their lifetime – that’s 125,068,800 people out of our current population.

Some of the most prevalent forms of cancers among seniors are breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer. Because aging can bring a higher risk factor for certain cancers, it’s important you know how well Medicare covers cancer. Fortunately, Medicare covers cancer quite well.

Common Cancer Treatments and Services

First, let’s talk about treatments and services that most cancer patients receive. This will help you to understand how specific procedures are covered under Medicare. Below is a short list of treatments, services, procedures, etc. that cancer patients may receive.

  • Chemotherapy
  • DME (durable medical equipment)
  • Hospice
  • In-patient hospital stays
  • Medications
  • Oncologist visits
  • Radiation
  • Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) care
  • Surgery

It’s true that Medicare covers most treatments, procedures, and services needed for managing cancer, but you need to know more than that. You should learn how each service is covered and how much you’ll pay for it.

While it’s hard to know for sure how much you will pay down to the cent due to certain factors, you can at least get a ballpark estimate of what you can expect to spend.

Medicare Part A Coverage

In short, Medicare Part A covers your in-patient hospital stays. In addition, stays at an SNF and hospice care are also covered under Part A among a few other things.

This may not seem like much for an entire part of Medicare to cover; however, if you think about how expensive these services are, it’s easier to understand. Also, depending on how recently you have left the hospital, there are times that Part A could cover things like DME and home health care too.

Costs Under Part A

Like all other parts of Medicare, Part A has a deductible. However, you will soon learn the Medicare Part A deductible is unlike any other deductible in Medicare. Most deductibles are annual; however, Part A’s deductible is per benefit period.

What this means is that if you go to the hospital multiple times a year, you could experience multiple benefit periods, and that means you could pay the Part A deductible more than once a year. As of 2019, the Part A deductible is $1,364.

The $1,364 deductible pays for your first 60 days in the hospital. If you stay in the hospital for more than 60 days, you will owe a daily copay. The daily copay for Part A start at $341 and increases to $682 after day 90.

The deductible also covers your first 20 days in an SNF if your doctor sends you to one to finish out your recovery. If your SNF stay is longer than 20 days, you will pay a daily copay of $170.50.

All costs after 150 days in the hospital or 100 days in an SNF are your responsibility.

Medicare Part B Coverage

Medicare Part B covers your outpatient services, treatments, procedures, and then some. They even cover some things while you’re in the hospital. Things like chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and oncologist visits are all examples of things that can be covered under Part B.

Costs Under Part B

Medicare Part B has a monthly premium that is based on your income. Most people pay $135.50 each month in 2019 for Part B. The annual deductible for Part B in 2019 is $185.

Once you have paid your deductible, Part B will cover 80% of the cost for Medicare-covered services and treatments, like the ones listed above. The other 20% of the cost is your responsibility. Sometimes you can incur Part B charges while you are in the hospital, such as when a physician performs an outpatient surgery or you are using a hospital facility to get a diagnostic imaging scan, which is covered under Part B.

Let’s look at an example. Joe goes to the hospital for a minimally invasive surgery. He stays in the hospital overnight for observation. He will pay his Part A deductible of $1,364, his Part B deductible of $185, and 20% of the cost for the surgery and any other Part B services provided to him while in the hospital.

Medicare Plans That Can Help

Just from that one surgery, Joe could be paying thousands of dollars out-of-pocket. However, if he had a Medicare plan, he could be better protected from having to empty out his wallet.

Medigap Plans

Medicare Supplement plans, also known as Medigap plans, help cover the patients from having to spend so much out-of-pocket. A Medigap plan could potentially eliminate all of the costs that Joe would normally have to cover himself.

A few Medigap plans that could help Joe immensely are Plan F, Plan G, and Plan N. Plan F would cover everything mentioned above, while Plan G would cover everything except the $185 Part B deductible.

Most people only get one opportunity to enroll in a Medigap plan with guaranteed approval. So, if you have been diagnosed with cancer before becoming eligible for Medicare, you should enroll in a Medigap plan during this one-time open enrollment window.

Medicare Advantage Plans

Because Medigap plans usually have a higher premium, some people elect a Medicare Advantage plan instead. As long as you have one or the other you will be able to have extra coverage.

Medicare Advantage plans provide extra coverage in a few ways such as providing additional benefits, offering lower copays, and including a maximum out-of-pocket. In 2019, the set maximum out-of-pocket spending limit is $6,700 for in-network services.

This means, even if you can’t afford a Medigap plan, you will at least be covered from spending more than $6,700 for in-network services in any given year.

It takes some research to decide whether a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan is the right fit for you, so make sure you learn how each type of coverage works before you choose a plan.

Medicare Part D Coverage

Part D is the part of Medicare that is in charge of your drug coverage – well, most of it anyway. There are some cases in which Part B would cover your medications, but we will get into that in a little bit.

Costs Under Part D

Each Part D plan has a premium. Currently, the national average for Part D monthly premiums is $35. You also have an annual deductible included in your Part D drug plan. In 2019, the maximum deductible a plan can set is $415.

After you have met your deductible you will move into the second stage of your Part D plan called the initial coverage stage. During this stage, you will pay copays for drugs covered under your plan. The copay you pay for any given drug depends on the tier the plan has the drug classified as.

After you and the carrier together have spent $3,820, you will move into the coverage gap. During this stage, you will pay a specified percentage depending on what type of drug it is, brand-name or generic.

Once your out-of-pocket spending hits $5,100, you’ll move into the catastrophic coverage stage which is the stage you will remain in until January 1st. In the catastrophic coverage stage, you will pay no more than 5 percent of your drug costs.

Drugs Covered Under Part B

Medicare Part B covers medications that are administered to you in a medical office setting. For example, chemotherapy is administered to you, therefore, Part B covers it, not Part D.

Think of Part D as your drug coverage for prescriptions you pick up at the pharmacy yourself. However, even Part B covers some of those.

Better Safe Than Sorry

We hear all the time, unfortunately, of how someone didn’t get Medicare Part D when they were first eligible because they weren’t taking any medications at that time. Well later, come to find out, they have been diagnosed with cancer and now must wait until the fall election period to enroll in a Part D drug plan.

Since they waited, not only will they have a lifelong late penalty tacked onto their premium, they have to pay 100% out-of-pocket from their medications until they get enrolled in a plan.

The potential of being diagnosed with cancer is also a reason why you should enroll in a Medigap plan when you are first eligible. Like we mentioned earlier, if you wait until it’s too late, you will be denied coverage due to your diagnosis. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.