Countdown to Medicare Part D Open Enrollment: Day 3
Open Enrollment for 2012 begins on Saturday, October 15, and ends on Wednesday, December 7, 2011.
Day 3: Make sure the stars are aligned during the Open Enrollment period
Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has now officially published the CMS star ratings on its Plan Finder tool, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit this topic.
As I mentioned last week, each year CMS rates how well health plans and prescription drug plans perform in different categories, such as customer service, prescription drug safety, and member satisfaction. The Medicare star ratings are important because they help you compare the overall quality of plans. Star ratings range from 1 star (poor) to 5 stars (excellent), so look for a plan with high ratings (3.5 or above) to ensure you get the level of service and safety you deserve.
The ratings for prescription drug plans are based on information from various sources, including:
• Results from Medicare’s regular plan-monitoring activities
• Reviews of billing and other information that plans must submit to Medicare
• Member surveys conducted by Medicare
To get the overall star ratings for plans that are available in your region, go to the Medicare Plan Finder (where you can search specifically for star ratings) or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users: 1-877-486-2048. You can also call your plan’s customer service number and ask for the plan’s Medicare star rating.
I did a search on the Plan Finder tool today, and was very surprised by the results. In particular, I was shocked that several of the largest prescription drug plans (PDPs) in the country received only a 3-star rating, including plans by Humana, CVS Caremark, and AARP. Other large plans received only 2.5 stars, including Aetna CVS, United American, and Cigna Medicare Rx. Only two PDPs serving my region earned 4 stars: a small, regional plan and the Medco Medicare Prescription Plan, which is a national plan. No PDPs in my region earned 5 stars.
If you are currently enrolled in a plan that has earned only 3 stars or less–and you enjoy quality service–you should definitely consider shopping around for a PDP with more star power.
The Med Diva 