Get Help With Medicare Questions At LIFE Senior Services

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

The open enrollment period has begun for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug coverage. It's a chance to compare plans and change if you find a better one.

At LIFE Senior Services comparison and enrollment clinic, people come in for help in trying to find the best prescription drug coverage to meet their needs.

“So this will be the 2010 prices we'll look at," said Kathy Pleake.

Kathy Pleake had a good plan last year, and Penny Shaw is helping her determine if it's still the best one.

The open enrollment period is a time when you can change plans with no penalty.

"I've got one, two, three, four, five prescriptions that I take," Pleake said.

That's the start. It turns out there are 46 plans in Oklahoma that could cover her. Each one has a different cost, a deductible she must meet, a premium cost and of course the medications.

Last year during open enrollment, the LIFE Senior Services folks tell us 70% of those who came in, changed plans to save money The open enrollment period just started so it's too early to tell for this year, but here's why this process is so important.

“If she would just pick a plan willy-nilly, and pick the wrong one, she could really hurt herself,” said Penny Shaw of LIFE Senior Services.

The most expensive of those 46 plans is three times the cost of the least expensive, so Kathy and Penny went through them looking at the deductibles and how the costs would be levied each month. The results? The Medicare Part D comparison shopper decided to stay where she was.

“Now this is done, I can move on to the next confusing situation," said Kathy Pleake.