My great uncle passed away a little over 3 years ago and he was like a grandfather to me…to this day, I still miss him! Once he died we assumed the role of taking care of my great aunt who is 86 years old. We take care of her medical decisions, financial decisions and basic day to day decisions that need to be made on her behalf.
Since I am only 44 years old and have never been on Medicare I really had to take some time to educate myself on Medicare and Medicare Part D so that I made wise and informed decisions on my great aunt’s behalf. Today I thought I would share some information with you incase you are on medicare or taking care of someone who is.
Medicare Part D is very important to have because it is the plan that helps to pay for prescriptions and this plan is offered by private insurance companies that are Medicare approved. When you first qualify for medicare it is extremely important to take out a Medicare Part D supplement right away…so that you don’t get penalized for taking it out later. For the most part, you are responsible for paying a premium or deductible for this coverage and then the plan helps to cover your medicaly necessary prescriptions and medications.
As we all know…prescriptions & medication costs are through the roof and most people can’t afford them on their own and as we age our need for prescription medications increases so it is important to add this Medicare Part D plan onto your regular Medicare insurance plan. After all, no one enjoys getting sick and going in debt when there are other things in your life you want to spend YOUR money on.
Once my great aunt qualified for Medicare we got her one of the supplemental Medicare Part D plans and I am so glad that we did. Since the 3 years during my uncle’s passing my aunt has fell and broken her back twice, torn ligaments in her leg and knee, been sick numerous times with the flu and various infections and has had 3 surgeries. If we wouldn’t have gotten the extra Medicare Part D she surely would of ran out of money by now and have had to move in with one of us. Thankfully, we have that additional coverage which is helping her to afford to stay into her own home instead of going into debt with medical prescription costs.
So there you have it, my thoughts and 2 cents on why every American should get Medicare Part D as soon as they qualify for Medicare benefits.