Ways you may qualify for extra help

You automatically qualify for extra help if you have any one of the following:

• You have full coverage from a state Medicaid program.
• You get help from Medicaid paying your Medicare Part B premiums (belong to a Medicare Savings Program).
• You get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits but not Medicaid.

If you don’t join a plan on your own, Medicare will enroll you in a plan so you get help paying for your prescription drugs. If Medicare enrolls you in a plan, Medicare will send you a yellow or green letter letting you know when your coverage begins. Check to see if the plan covers the drugs you use and if you can go to the pharmacies you want. If the plan Medicare enrolls you in doesn’t meet your needs, you can switch plans at any time. If you don’t want Medicare to enroll you in a Medicare drug plan (for example, because you want to keep your employer or union coverage), call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or the plan listed in the letter and tell them you don’t want to be in a Medicare drug plan and want to "opt out" of enrollment. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

(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.)