First Pharmacy Trip
Here are some tips people with Medicare can use to make sure their first trip to the pharmacy goes smoothly:
• When you first join a Medicare drug plan, you'll get an acknowledgement letter in the mail about a week after you join. Your plan ID card should arrive three to five weeks later.
• If you need to go to the pharmacy before your ID card arrives, bring the acknowledgement letter from your plan, your Medicare and/or Medicaid card, and a photo ID.
• Save the receipts from your pharmacist.
• For additional assistance, call 1-800-MEDICARE, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
People with Medicare and Medicaid
If your pharmacist is having trouble confirming what plan you're in or whether you also get Medicaid, he can also call a special toll-free number that Medicare set up for pharmacists to get help. People with Medicare who also get Medicaid should be able to get their prescriptions filled with minimal copayments and no deductibles.
How to Join a Plan
If you haven't joined a Medicare drug plan yet, don't worry. You have until May 15, 2006 to choose and join a plan without having to pay a penalty