Save on Medicare Part D

Soaring Drug Costs

Soaring drug prices have grabbed headlines over the past couple of years, including the skyrocketing cost of an AIDS drug from $13.50 to $750, EpiPen’s massive hike, the spike in insulin costs, and the escalation of the costs of other lifesaving treatments. In these days of sky-high drug costs, Medicare recipients, particularly the 90% on a fixed income, are looking to get their prescription drug costs under control.

So, if you have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, what can you do to get your costs under control? Here are some tips for “what if” situations.

Medication Not Covered by Your Part D Plan?: Tip #1

What if you have a medication that is not covered by your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan? In that case, you can use a prescription drug discount card to help out. While you cannot use a discount card in conjunction with a Part D plan, you can use it on a medication or two (or three, etc.) which is not covered by a Part D plan. (In other words, you can’t have two things (such as a plan and a discount card) paying for the same medication.) There are a few of these cards on the market, but if you email us (hello@claeysgroup.com) your name and address (put “Discount Card” in the subject line), we will mail you the best Discount card, absolutely FREE of charge. There is absolutely no obligation to use the card, however, our clients report average savings of 60% – 70% with this card—at participating pharmacies such as Walmart, CVS, and Kroger. Even if those aren’t your preferred pharmacy, wouldn’t it be worth bringing along the next time you fill your prescription? This Free Tool is available to anyone, regardless of coverage status (or lack thereof)!

Medication Not Covered by Your Part D Plan?: Tip #2

Another approach to take if you have a medication that is not covered by your Part D prescription drug plan is to ask your doctor to make an appeal to your Part D drug plan. If your doctor demonstrates to your drug plan that your uncovered medication is necessary for you (such as, if you have tried other medications and found they did not do what your uncovered medication does for you), oftentimes your Part D drug plan will make an exception and cover your medication. However, even if it does, some Part D plans have a rule that an exception medication will be covered at a tier 4 level. (Tier 4 is the second most expensive tier, with tier 5 being the highest.)

Medication Not Covered by Your Part D Plan?: Tip #3

Finally, if you have a medication not covered by your Part D drug plan, you can ask your doctor to prescribe a medication that IS covered by your plan. But, as you are well aware, not all medications are created equal, meaning that even if your doctor can come up with a medication of a similar classification that is covered by your Part D prescription drug plan, that doesn’t mean it will work well for you. If not, see my tips above.

23 Plans: Tip #4

Even if all of your meds are covered by your Part D drug plan, you could still have significant out-of-pocket costs from your medications, such as high deductibles, copays, etc. This is where it pays to have an agent who will shop your medications with ALL of the drug plans available. For example, in East Texas, there are currently twenty-three Part D prescription drug plans available; and they are all different from one another. You could literally shop one medication with these plans and get twenty-three different results—different premiums, deductibles, and copays. The point is: It pays to shop. Don’t settle for the same plan year after year when, by shopping, you could potentially save a significant amount of money.

Keep in mind that the best plan for you is determined by the combination of medications you are taking. If your combination changes—that is, if your doctor eliminates from, or adds to, your list of medications—then the best plan for you changes. In addition, Part D plans change from year to year. So, the moral of this story is: It pays to shop your medications each year.

Avoid This Mistake: Tip #5

By the way, don’t make the mistake (as many Medicare recipients do) of simply choosing the plan with the lowest premium. That could be a major mistake. Oftentimes, the lowest premium Part D plans do fine with tier 1 medications but do not do well with tier 2, 3, and 4 medications. So, while saving premium dollars on a plan like that, you may be way overpaying on your copays.

“Recruit” an Annual Shopper: Tip #6

Based on this background, here is another tip: Get with a reputable insurance agency who will shop your medications for you. Most agents don’t want to shop your medications as it doesn’t pay for them to do so. However, there are a few agents who would be willing to shop your meds if you get a Medicare supplement with them. Even if you have a supplement currently, it may even pay for you to pay a couple of dollars more per month in premium in order to “hire” an agent who will shop your medications for you year after year. (This is another area in which Claeys Group Insurance spoils its clients.)

Don’t Forget the Obvious: Tip #7

Finally, don’t forget that many medications have a generic equivalent that could save you money. If you are taking medications that have generic equivalents, why not try the generics? If they work as well, why take the name brands? In most cases, you shouldn’t notice a difference between the name brand and its generic. Switching to generics could save you a lot of money on an annual basis.

Save on Medicare Part D

Hopefully, these tips will enable you to begin saving money on your prescription drug costs. We hope so, as we at Claeys Group Insurance are all about saving our clients the most money possible.


Margie FisherMargie Fisher
22:38 13 Feb 24
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Judy CraftonJudy Crafton
20:54 07 Feb 24
Mr. Claesy, was a pleasure to work with on just a short time table, my not paying attention to dates for Medicare changes! We really appreciated his response and meeting personally with us. We highly recommend him for your insurance needs. Thanks again for doing a wonderful service.
Dannie SkipperDannie Skipper
20:50 07 Feb 24
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KevinKevin
14:47 24 Jan 24
John is a very knowledgeable subject matter expert and is thorough in his approach. He takes time breaking down and explaining what can be a somewhat complex subject and helps makes it easier to understand! John always has the best interests of his clients guiding his recommendations. We have found John's advice to be extremely helpful and would recommend him to anyone seeking health insurance.
Laura BogenschutzLaura Bogenschutz
18:06 21 Jan 24
John Claeys is the best! He has helped my husband and I tremendously with our Medicare and supplement coverage! He breaks it down to where you can understand it! We would be so confused without John!! Thank you John for being there for us!!
Thompson FamilyThompson Family
15:46 18 Jan 24
John Claeys is one of the most knowledgeable individuals on Medicare and supplemental insurance plans you can ever find. Not only is he very personable he also stays involved from year to year to ensure you have the best policies for your current needs.
Ingrid FauskeeIngrid Fauskee
23:21 17 Jan 24
I just got a Medicare plan through John Claeys. I was getting a lot of mail about Medicare and was so confused. Some friends told me about John so I emailed him and he contacted me right away.. He was amazing! He went through everything with me, he explained every detail and was so patient with all my questions . So grateful to him for all he did. Thank you John.😁
John Claeys helped me understand the in's and out's of Medicare. He found the best insurance and prescription plan to best suit my needs at an affordable price.Thank you John!Laurie Boriskie
Marsha AllenMarsha Allen
16:55 24 Oct 23
My experience with John was definitely 5 Star! He explained everything thoroughly, and simply. He answered all my questions regarding Medicare completely. I would absolutely recommend John, without reservation.
Linda WilliamsLinda Williams
10:08 12 Jul 23
I had a 5 star experience and would recommend him. Always returning my calls promptly, very helpful and informative, listened to what my needs was regarding my Medicare. I truly felt comfortable with John's help to navigate through the maze of Medicare
Cindy KulakCindy Kulak
14:51 18 Jun 23
John is very knowledgable, honest and ethical in helping clients evaluate Medicare options and get enrolled. He made the process extremely easy for myself and my husband.
Dale SimsDale Sims
16:28 11 May 23
John did a great job of explaining Medicare and supplemental insurance. He was thorough and patient. He answered all of my questions. I greatly appreciated his help.
Leeann MoosLeeann Moos
17:26 06 Apr 23
When I became eligible for Medicare, my phone was constantly under attack from Medicare options sales folk. Since I needed help understanding my options and life is too short to do business with annoying people a little research was in order. Thats how I found John. His other customers seem very pleased with his service and I decided to give him a try. I was NOT disappointed! He did an excellent job for me, is extremely personable and I could not be happier. Thank you John
Rose WrightRose Wright
16:07 05 Apr 23
I am so thankful for the help that Mr. John was able to assist me with medicare information. After being bombarded with letters and phone calls you just need someone who can walk you through the confusion. And after getting all the info and the best plan and benefits for what i needed. I am glad that He was there for me.Thank you so very much,Rose Wright
Steve HenselSteve Hensel
21:08 04 Apr 23
Claeys Group is great to work with. John is truly professional, knowledgeable and makes the entire process flow so much more smoothly than I expected. I would highly recommend him.
Deborah RounsavallDeborah Rounsavall
14:25 07 Mar 23
I changed from my person finance planning group to John for help. Others led me astray. John is very responsive and follows up promptly. Even helped me on the weekend at the end of year to get all my documents in on time so I didn't lose insurance coverage. Explains all the options in a manner that us rookies can understand it. I highly recommend John.
Setella ParksSetella Parks
13:12 07 Mar 23
John's knowledge is invaluable when it comes to navigating the murky water of Medicare plans. He answered all our questions in a manner we could understand and helped us compare benefits between plans, services, and providers readily available in our area. I am so happy we called on him to assist us! He handled EVERYTHING professionally and patiently and has followed up to make sure we are good. Highly recommend his 5 star service!
Sherry JonesSherry Jones
21:01 23 Feb 23
John was recommended by my sister-in-law, who spoke very highly of him. He wrote out the differences between policies and explained it step by step to me so I could understand which policy would be best for my needs. He was professional but also down to earth so I could be at ease. He did this at my bed side which was such a blessing for me. I highly recommend John for your Insurance needs.
T/D HT/D H
19:40 20 Feb 23
We were recommended by friends to call John Claeys for our insurance. He came twice to gather information on what we were looking for and returned with information and details. We are delighted to have John Claeys as our agent and would recommend to our friends and anyone else to call John Claeys today.Tom and Debbie
Joyce SandvikJoyce Sandvik
20:32 30 Aug 22
John Claeys came to our house to talk about all aspects of Medicare. He wrote out some information on a notepad as he talked and answered our questions. He gave us the handwritten notes along with printouts of more information specific to my needs. My husband and I took o a few days to discuss the options. John took a list of my medications and researched all the available prescription insurance policies for me. He narrowed it down to the best policy (best prescription prices) for me. It was so easy and I felt confident I was getting exactly what I need when I turn 65. Every September, he will research prescription policies from my updated list of medications to find the best policy for my needs. Thanks to John Claeys for making this transition extremely easy and effortless.
Marilyn ScottMarilyn Scott
09:35 23 Jul 22
John enrolled my husband into Medicare 4 years ago. I knew then I wanted him to help me with my Medicare when it was my time to enroll. John helped me recently. He is very knowledgeable, humble and so patient. He made sure I had the best plan for me. He genuinely cares about his clients. He is the best insurance consultant! I highly recommend John for your Medicare needs!!
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