There’s good news for seniors preparing to sign up for Medicare prescription benefits.
The Medicare open enrollment period for 2025 is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2024, and new coverage begins on January 1, 2025.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 updated the Medicare Part D benefit, including a new cap on enrollees’ annual out-of-pocket spending cap in 2025.
Medicare helps with the cost of health care, but it doesn’t cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.
If you are already receiving Social Security benefits, enrollment into Medicare is typically automatic. Three months before your Medicare eligibility date, you will receive a Medicare card and Welcome packet in the mail. All others must apply through the Social Security Administration.
There is a seven-month period in which you must enroll — as early as three months before your 65th birthday and ending three months after your 65th birthday.
When you enroll in Medicare, most people sign up in Medicare Parts A & B, which is also called “Original Medicare.”
• Part A (hospital insurance) is usually available at no cost and helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care and home health care.
• Part B (medical insurance) helps cover outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment, and preventive.
Because Original Medicare has costs associated with it, many people purchase additional insurance.
Medicare Part D, is in addition to hospital/ medical coverage. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 19 million Medicare users and other Part D benefi ciaries are projected to save $400 per year on prescription drugs with the outof- pocket costs drop to $2,000 in 2025.
Medicare D currently provides prescription drug coverage for nearly 56 million Medicare beneficiaries and satisfaction Nearly two million 1.9 million enrollees with the highest drug costs will save and average of $2,500 per year.
On average, approximately 40 % Part D enrollees who reach the new out-ofpocket cap between 2025 and 2029 are estimated to see annual savings of $1,000 or more, and just over 12 % will see savings of more than $3,000.
A Medicare/Medicaid Specialist with the Area Agency on Aging’s Medicare/ Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) is available at the Government Center twice a month to offer assistance with Open Enrollment, Prescription Drug Programs, and to answer any Medicare/ Medicaid questions you may have.
Appointments are available for:
• Oct. 3, 10, 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30, 31
• Nov. 4, 6, 7, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 25, 27
• December 2, 4, 5 and 12. Seven time slots are available per day, with each appointment scheduled for one hour.
To set an appointment call 256-8121.
