Welcome Medicare & You

Medicare strives to improve access to affordable treatments to keep you healthy. Check out what’s new this year to help you manage your health. Saving money on your prescription drugs Starting January 1, 2024. If your modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago is above a certain amount, you'll pay the standard premium amount and an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). IRMAA is an extra charge added to your premium.

If you have Medicare drug coverage (Part D) and your drug costs are high enough to reach the catastrophic coverage phase, you don’t have to pay a copayment or coinsurance. Extra Help—a program that helps cover your Part D drug costs—will expand to cover more drug costs for certain people with limited resources and income. 

Go to pages 83 and 92. Coinsurance amounts for some Part B-covered drugs may be less if a prescription drug’s price increased higher than the rate of inflation. Go to page 40. Lower costs for insulin and vaccines 

Your Medicare drug plan can't charge you more than $35 for a one-month supply of each insulin product Part D covers, and you don’t have to pay a deductible for it. Go to page 88. If you take insulin through a traditional pump that’s covered under Medicare’s durable medical equipment benefit, that insulin is covered under Medicare Part B. 

You won’t pay more than $35 for a month’s supply and the Medicare deductible no longer applies. Go to pages 39 and 88. Recommended adult vaccines are also now available at no cost to you. Go to page 50. Changes to telehealth coverage 

You can still get telehealth services at any location in the U.S., including your home, until the end of 2024. After that, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area to get most telehealth services. There are some exceptions, like for mental health services. Go to page 51. Managing and treating chronic pain Medicare now covers monthly services to treat chronic pain if you’ve been living with it for more than 3 months. Go to page 34. Better mental health care 

Starting January 1, 2024, Medicare will cover intensive outpatient program services provided by hospitals, community mental health centers, and other locations if you need mental health care. Go to pages 46–47. More times to sign up for Medicare If you recently lost (or will soon lose) Medicaid, you may be able to sign up for Medicare or change your current Medicare coverage. 

There are other special situations that allow you to sign up for Medicare. Go to page 18. COVID-19 care Medicare continues to cover the COVID-19 vaccine, and several tests and treatments to keep you and others safe. Go to page 37.

We are here to assist in your insurance and planning needs. Please reach out to us today. And, as our gift, you are welcome to download this informative FREE resource.  

Thank you,