Is there any reason NOT to use my Part D plan's mail order option?
Your Medicare plan coverage · published Nov 13, 2007
We currently are enrolled in a national prescription drug plan and purchase our prescriptions at a large pharmacy chain. I have been receiving mail about concerning signing up for our Part D plan's mail order service. The letter states I would save more and I guess get into the donut hole later in the year. How can I find out if it would be more advantages to sign up for the mail order?
Answer:
Usually mail order is a convenient way to save money on your prescription purchases and we are surprised more people are not using this Part D service.
Depending on the Part D provider (you can find details in your Summary of Benefits document), some people are able to purchase a 90 day prescription supply for a 60 day cost or a 90 day supply for a 75 day cost - again, depending on your chosen Part D plan.
Make sure you look before enrolling -because some prescription drug plans do not offer any mail order purchases and some Part D plans do not provide lower prices based on mail order or quantity purchases. And usually no Part D plan offers a price break for expensive brand name or specialty medications.
Perhaps, the real downside to mail order is that some people really will miss the regular, face-to-face contact with a neighborhood pharmacist. In addition, for some less active people, going to the pharmacy may provide one of the few reason to get out into public on a regular basis.
Please note, mail order does not delay the Doughnut Hole and actually works the other way. When you enter the Doughnut Hole is based on the retail cost of your purchased medication (not what you pay, but the actual retail cost negotiated by your Part D plan) - so the mail order purchases could cause you to go into the doughnut hole earlier because you purchased 3 months of prescriptions at one time. Also, if you are trying to "get out of" or through the doughnut hole - the more you spend the faster you get out of the coverage gap. So in theory, if you always purchase a 90 day supply of medication, you may speed up both the doughnut hole entrance and exit.