Seniors do not forget to sign up for Medicare | Health

The fall has arrived, which means it's time to flannel, play football and find the perfect health insurance plan.

That's right – in the midst of all the seasonal festivities, it's the season of open enrollment at Medicare, which began on October 15th. Seniors will have until December 7 to choose their health insurance plan for the coming year.

Older people have a large selection of coverage options. In particular, they should be grateful for the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, which allows tens of millions of seniors to afford their medications.

Traditional Medicare plans cover visits to the doctor and the hospital, among other basic health services. But for many older people – especially those with chronic illnesses – basic Medicare coverage is not enough. This is why many beneficiaries take out complementary drug coverage through individual Medicare Part D plans or Medicare Advantage plans incorporating Part D benefits.

Part D is the prescription drug program administered by the private sector. Since 2006, he has helped seniors fill billions of prescriptions. Currently, three Medicare beneficiaries – more than 40 million people – are enrolled in a Part D plan.

Part D diets are not unique solutions. In some states, there are up to 30 different schemes for seniors, each offering different premiums, co-payments and covered medications.

However, all plans must meet certain standards. For example, each diet must cover at least two drugs in six essential categories: immunosuppressants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, antiretrovirals and antineoplastics. This regulation guarantees people with serious chronic diseases the choice of drugs.

The plans are quite affordable. In 2019, the average monthly premium of Part D will cost just over $ 32 – which is even cheaper than the year before.

These low premiums are not a coincidence. Part D forces private insurers to compete for seniors' businesses. In fact, insurers negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies – and the government is prohibited from negotiating or fixing prices. The end result is quality coverage at an affordable price.

Part D is a literal lifeline. Seniors who subscribe to Part D coverage see their number of hospitalizations decrease by 8%, according to a recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of New Brunswick. # 39; Illinois. An analysis conducted in 2016 by North Carolina State University found that Part D reduced the risk of developing high blood pressure among recipients, which could lead to heart attacks and strokes. Part D has reduced senior mortality by 2.2% each year since its implementation, according to a study by the Journal of Health Economics.

Given the broad choices of Part D plans, low premiums and life-saving results, it is no wonder that 85% of seniors are happy with their coverage.

Choosing the right health plan is crucial – the elderly should not wait for the foliage to change before signing up for this open registration season.

Peter J. Pitts, former Associate Commissioner of the FDA, is President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Pitts wrote this column for The Logan Daily News. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.