- Plan Name: This is the official Medicare Part D prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plan name from the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS). The same Medicare Part D plan name generally has a different Plan ID in each state
(or CMS Region).
The plan name is followed by the plan type
(PDP,
HMO,
HMO-POS,
PPO,
PFFS, etc.)
- Monthly Premium: This is the amount you must pay each month for this prescription drug plan. This monthly premium must be paid even if you are in the initial deductible phase or the coverage gap (donut hole) phase.
- Deductible: If your Part D plan has an
initial deductible,
you are 100% responsible for your drug costs until your expenses exceed this value and you begin your
Initial Coverage Phase.
Many Medicare Part D plans use the standard $435 deductible as provided by CMS in their
Standard plan design. Some Part D plan providers offer an initial deductible lower than the Standard deductible. Many prescription drug plans do not have a deductible (also called first dollar coverage or a $0 deductible), however the monthly premium for a plan with a $0 deductible may be slightly higher.
- Qualifies for LIS: The
Extra Help or Low Income Subsidy (LIS) Program.
- Yes - This plan qualifies for the $0 Premium for those persons with a full LIS or Extra Help benefit. Persons on the LIS program who select a qualifying plan will also pay a $0 deductible, pay lower cost-sharing payments and have coverage through the Coverage Gap or Doughnut Hole.
- No - This plan does not qualify for the $0 Premium for persons with the full LIS benefit.
- Plan ID: This is the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan's unique ID.
- Drug Tier Information - Drug Tiers are the logical grouping of prescription drugs on a Part D plan formulary. These fields represent the Tier (or drug list group) - for this particular medication - on this particular plan’s Formulary or Drug List.
- Tier Number - This is the actual numerical tier level from the formulary. Most Part D plans have five (5) tiers 1=Preferred Generics, 2=Generics, 3=Preferred Brands, 4=Non-preferred Brands, 5=Specialty Drugs.
- Tier Number* - Some Part D drug plans exclude one or more drug tiers from the plan’s deductible. If the drug tier field above is followed by * (example: 2*), then this drug tier is excluded from the plan’s deductible.
- Tier Description - This is the Medicare Part D plan’s description of this particular drug tier.
- Cost Sharing - Copay / Coinsurance - This is what you will pay for formulary drugs in the
Initial Coverage Phase of your plan. This is the phase after the initial deductible has been met and before you reach the Coverage Gap (Donut Hole). Plans often cover drugs in "tiers". Tiers are specific to the list of drugs covered by the plan. Plans may have several tiers, and the copay for a drug depends on the drug’s tier. The drug Tier is shown to the left of this column. These cost sharing figures DO NOT necessarily apply to the Coverage Gap. The plan may have a separate copay/coinsurance for the same drug while in the Coverage Gap. There are two figures shown under this "Cost Sharing" category:
- Preferred Network Pharmacy - (Preferred Pharm) - This is the cost-share amount you would pay during the initial coverage phase for a 30-Day supply (until your total retail prescription drug costs reach $4020) at a "Preferred" network pharmacy. In most cases, the "Preferred" network pharmacy cost-sharing is lower than the standard (non-preferred) network pharmacy cost-sharing.
- Mail Order - This is the cost-share amount you would pay during the initial coverage phase for a 90-Day supply if you purchased your medication through your plan’s preferred mail order partner(s).
- Drug Utilization Management or Coverage Rules - (Drug Usage Mgmt) - This shows the plan requires
drug utilization management controls for this particular medication.
- None - This drug does not fall under any drug utilization management controls.
- P - Prior Authorization -This drug is subject to prior authorization.
- S - Step Therapy -This drug is subject to step therapy.
- Q - Quantity Limits -This drug is subject to quantity limits. The actual quantity limit is shown as Q:Amount/Days. For Example: Q:6/28Days means the quantity limit is a quantity of 6 pills per 28 days. Q:90/365Days would mean that the plan limits this drug to 90 pills for the entire year.
(Chart Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid files: CMS Data September 2020 )
Please note: The above plan information comes from CMS. We make every attempt to keep our information up-to-date with plan/premium changes. However, the Medicare Part D plan data changes over time and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information. You should always verify cost and coverage information with your Medicare plan provider.