Medicare 2012 Open Enrollment Drug and Health Plan Data Now Live - Online "Plan Finder" Offers Unbiased Resource to Review Plan Options
In advance of the new, earlier annual enrollment period, people with Medicare were able to begin reviewing plan benefit and cost information on Saturday, October 1, 2011. CMS launched access to its popular web-based "Medicare Plan Finder" that allows beneficiaries, their families, trusted representatives, and senior program advocates to look at all local drug and health plan options that are available for the 2012 benefit year. The annual enrollment period begins earlier this year, on Saturday, October 15, and runs through Wednesday, December 7. People with Medicare will have seven weeks to review Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug coverage benefits and plan options, and choose the option that best meets their unique needs. The earlier open enrollment period also ensures that Medicare has enough time to process plan choices so that coverage begins without interruption on Sunday, January 1, 2012. People can use the Plan Finder - available at www.Medicare.gov<http://www.Medicare.gov> - by searching their home zip code for Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Prescription Drug (Part D) plans available in their area. The full text of this excerpted press release can be found on the CMS website at http://www.CMS.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=4104. --------------------------------------------------------- Vaccination is the Best Protection Against the Flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging everyone 6 months of age and older to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu. The risks for complications, hospitalizations, and deaths from the flu are higher among individuals aged 65 years and older. Medicare pays for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for seniors and others with Medicare with no co-pay or deductible. And remember, vaccination is particularly important for healthcare workers, who may spread the flu to high risk patients. Don't forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccination -- Not the Flu. Remember - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal influenza vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for healthcare professionals and their staff, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp. ------------------------------------------------------ Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
