Medicare helps pay for your prescription drugs instead of Medicaid. Because you have Medicaid, Medicare automatically gives you extra help with your Medicare drug plan costs. If you live in an institution (like a nursing home), in most cases you pay nothing for your covered prescriptions.
If you haven’t yet joined a Medicare drug plan, Medicare enrolls you in a drug plan to make sure you have drug coverage. Medicare sends you a yellow letter letting you know what plan you are in and when your coverage begins or began. Check to see if the plan covers the drugs you use and if you can go to the pharmacies you want. If you decide to switch to a different Medicare drug plan, you can do so at any time.
The yellow letter also tells you that if you (or anyone on your behalf) have filled prescriptions since the date that your Medicare drug plan coverage began, you may be able to get back some of these costs. Contact your Medicare drug plan for more information.
If you don’t want Medicare prescription drug coverage, and you don’t want Medicare to enroll you in a Medicare drug plan (for example, because you have other creditable prescription drug coverage), call 1-800-MEDICARE and tell them you don’t want to join (“opt out”). Caution: If you call 1-800-MEDICARE and tell them you don’t want to join a Medicare drug plan, you could be left without prescription drug coverage. You can change your mind and join a Medicare drug plan at any time, but you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you join later.
