We are all affected by drug price increases.  There are many reasons for this phenomenon but several factors have been more significant.  While we all want to know why this is happening, we also want to know what can we do.

As noted before, this issue arises a lot with my Medicare clients.  So, what can my clients do about it?  I have blogged before about some easy things to do such as:  ask your doctor for samples, shop around different pharmacies, ask for generics, etc.  I find the biggest thing to do is to compare your plan options.  If you are on a stand-alone Part D drug plan, you should shop each year.  If you are on a Medicare Advantage plan, you will need to consider both Plan medical benefits and drug copay costs.   Of course, I help my clients each year with these comparisons.  It usually starts with keeping drug lists current in Medicare’s comparison site where I can then help decipher the options including all costs (premium, deductible and copays).

A recent article goes into more detail on causes of increases. A link to that article follows:  http://khn.org/news/candidates-decry-high-drug-prices-but-they-have-few-options-for-voters/

The main takeaway for me was, people need a good Independent Agent who specializes in Medicare.  If you have questions about Medicare, call me, with no cost or obligation.  This is what I do and enjoy it.

Based in the Richmond, Va area, David Higgs of Choices In Medicare specializes in helping seniors transition to Medicare.  He can be reached at email:  David@ChoicesInMedicare.com or go to website:  www.ChoicesInMedicare.com