I have Medicare and get prescription drug coverage from the Indian Health Service, Tribe or Tribal Health Organization, or Urban Indian Health Program
- You and your community may benefit if you join a Medicare drug plan. Ask your health provider or benefits coordinator if joining a plan is right for you. If you decide to join, they can help you find a plan.
- If you get prescription drugs through an Indian health pharmacy, you pay nothing and your coverage won’t be interrupted.
- Joining a Medicare drug plan may be helpful to your Indian health provider because the drug plan pays part of the cost of your prescriptions. This helps the Indian health provider with the cost of services.
- If you have full coverage from Medicaid and live in a nursing home, you pay nothing for your Medicare prescription drug coverage. For more information on how to join a plan, see your Indian health provider or check with the benefits coordinator at your local Indian health pharmacy.
- If you get health care from the Indian Health Service, Tribal Health Program, or Urban Indian Health Program, you have creditable prescription drug coverage. You won’t have to pay a penalty to join a Medicare drug plan at a later date. Ask your Indian health care provider for a letter stating you have creditable coverage.
(Primary Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - Your Guide to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage 2008. This content may have been enhanced by Q1Group LLC to include further examples, explanations, and links.)