On the part D plan I'm on the price dropped...I'm like oh chit..what changed. They quit paying for generics in the gap. I can't do a plan for me where I have to pay full price for my genercs in the gap! Thats 6 months of the year, as I hit the donut hole every June.

Mom's plan wasn't working well for her this year either. She's been paying $100 a month for just the generics in the donut hole. We won't go there with the name brands. They are more than my house note!

Medicare website already had the 2009 plans on it last week (or earlier). Its www.medicare.gov

Now when the plans come up, you can have them in about 5 different orders. I choose the "coverage in the gap" order. There were 3 plans that covered all generics, and about 5 more more that covered "some" generics in the gap.

I have to have a plan that pays for generics in the donut hole. I know now, she does too. I hate I didn't get her in time to see which plan she was on last year.

I have been researching plans for the both of us, for a few weeks now, and think I made a choice tonight! Only problem, I think I may have to change pharmacies. I hate that, cause Walgreens was really great to me with her meds, and helping me so much getting her started here. I went up there one time crying (thinking we missed one of her meds), and they settled me down. Some of her meds, changed colors, and names here. I was SO confused.

But I've had to change pharmacies myself several times over the years, so I can do it again.

Musical chairs is over now, and think I know a good plan for the both of us to join for 09.

You know your sleepytime meds are hitting, when you post this in the wrong section!

OOPS, must be past bedtime..

The one I was looking at didn't have her pharmacy.

I called to see if her pharmacy was on the list, they told me they didn't see it, but should be there, to call pharmacy.

Ok pharmacy says they need a bin#. I call back for bin # and they won't give it to me without me giving them my medicare #. I ain't giving out that, till I pick a new plan, and sign up.

So was back to square 1, looking at the other ones I liked.

Looks like Mom will hit donut hole in April with all the name brand meds. Will probably start getting many of them through canada....but dang, takes them SO long to get here.

bnot, is this where you meant to go with this? Mom had a decent prescription program paid for as her widow's part of Dad's pension. When we got all the info about the new (then) medicare program, the paper work said Mom wouldn't qualify because she had too much in the bank. Then her prescription program told us that they were switching to it and if she didn't sign up they would drop her. (They also made it clear that even though this was her widow's pension, they could drop "trouble makers" without notice.)

They pay for it from her Pension, but she would not get the outrageous amount they claim to pay for it added to her check ($179/month). It was a total shut out. It actually increased her cost for medicines, added more stipulations, the doughnut hole, tried to push mail order down her throat in spite of a 60 year relationship with the same local pharmacy that delivers free and lets her charge her meds (I phone it in, it shows up at the door, they bill her monthly). I had to fight for her right to do business with the pharmacy of her choice.

Medicare didn't pay squat for her prescription coverage before all this mess. Now they claim to be doing her a favor by allowing her to be forced to this program, and want to force her to save them money by cramming mail order down her throat. She didn't cost them a dime before and had better coverage.

After a contact with her congressman, it was clarified, that they couldn't make her do the mail order thing. It would be slightly cheaper if she did, but they had to cover her where ever.

You have brought up questions that do need to be batted around abit. A lot of it is baffeling.