Medicare drug plan finder under fire
WASHINGTON >> Medicare’s revamped prescription plan finder can steer unwitting seniors to coverage that costs much more than they need to pay, according to people who help with sign-ups as well as program experts.
Serving some 60 million Medicare recipients, the plan finder is the most commonly used tool on Medicare.gov and just got its first major update in a decade. The Trump administration has hailed the new version and Medicare Administrator Seema Verma says it will empower beneficiaries to take advantage of their coverage options.
But as open enrollment goes into the home stretch Thanksgiving week, critics say the new tool can create confusion by obscuring out-ofpocket costs that seniors should factor into their decisions.
“I want to make sure people are given the most accurate information and they’re making the best decision — because they are the ones stuck with it,” said Ann Kayrish, senior program manager for Medicare at the National Council on Aging, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for seniors and provides community services.