Question: I changed my Prescription Drug Coverage and I haven’t gotten my bill, what should I do?

Answer: Welcome to 2024! I am so glad the new year is here. This question or similar one has been very common the last few weeks and into 2024 During the Annual Open Enrollment period everyone with Medicare can make a new choice for their coverage. When people have changed their coverage, the insurance companies have a lot of work to do.

The plans have to generate a “Welcome to the Plan” letter, almost immediately and everyone who changed their coverage got one of those. This letter is the most important item to receive. This letter has your ID information on it and can be used as an insurance card until you get the actual card. The plans then need to send out new cards, new plan information and eventually new bills for premiums. We are finding that plans are sometimes late getting out the details. We have had a number of individuals who have not received their bills yet.

If you haven’t received your Welcome letter, we have advised calling the plan and getting this information over the phone. There are times when this can be a long difficult process. Being on hold, and working through the call chain can be frustrating. Take a deep breath, sit back and wait for them to answer the call. Once you get a represenative, you can talk through your concerns and get the information you require to access your prescription drug coverage.

Another way of getting your information is using the Medicare.gov website. This website has a login and password that allows you to access your personal data for many of your insurance products. If you have established that login and password you can access your current (and past) insurance coverage information. This allows you to research your coverage and also print out ID card data from your new Part D insurance plan. This has allowed us to help many clients access their information using the login and password they have established on the Medicare.gov website.

If you don’t already have a login you can establish one on the medicare.gov website and access that information.

You can also use the insurance company’s website to access your data. This will require you going to the company website and establishing a login and password. Unfortunately most of these sites require you to have your member ID to begin the process. But the Medicare.gov website can get your insurance member ID, which then allows you to set up a direct link with the company to access your account data. You can also pay the premiums, and access their formulary (drugs they cover) and your claim history.

If you don’t use a computer or understand how to do any of these tasks to get the help you need, please reach out to a family member or friend who is more computer savvy. Or you can reach out to an agency such as Office for the Aging, or the insurance broker you worked with who can help you through this process.

When addressing the issue of your bill, I would say be patient. The company has the month of January to issue the bill, and you have 30 days to pay that bill. So take a deep breath and wait for the rest of your information and your bill to arrive. The important part is getting your card and being able to refill your medications. They will cover your medications even if you haven’t paid your premium yet. Once you get that bill, you can catch up the payments and even set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) if you wish.

Looking forward to all that 2024 will bring!

Janell Sluga is a Geriatric Care Manager helping seniors in our community access services and insurance. To reach her, please email editorial@post-journal.com.