UniCare MedicareRx Rewards Part D

UniCare MedicareRx Rewards plans reviewed

You can receive your Medicare Part D benefits in one of two ways; you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes Medicare drug coverage or you can enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan such as MedicareRx Rewards Standard (PDP) or MedicareRx Rewards Plus (PDP) which are offered by Unicare, a WellPoint subsidiary.

Stand-alone Part D plans are available Statewide but insurance companies offering Part D plans can select which States where they make plans available.

MedicareRx Rewards Part D plans are widely available. If available, you may find these plans a viable option.

This article will review Part D plans available from UniCare and give you some insight as to which plan would be more suitable for specific situations.

MedicareRx Rewards Standard vs MedicareRx Rewards Plus

There can be major differences between plans. Even plans offered by the same company. Plans are either considered to be basic or enhanced. These classifications are referring to the plan’s formulary. The fornulary is the list of drugs that are covered by a plan.

Everyone has differing needs related to required medications so it’s important to determine whether or not you are best served by a plan with a basic or enhanced formulary. As the names imply, MedicareRx Rewards Standard and MedicareRx Rewards Plus refer to basic and enhanced formularies respectively.

MedicareRx Rewards Standard

• Basic formulary
• $325 Part D annual deductible (except tier 1 generic)
• No extra gap coverage beyond CMS mandated coverage
• Medicare Star rating: 2 (2012 rating)

MedicareRx Rewards Standard is available in the following States:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Wyoming.

 What Does Medicare Part D Cost?

MedicareRx Rewards Plus

• Enhanced formulary
• $0 Part D annual deductible
• Some generics may be covered in the gap
• Medicare Star rating: 2 (2012 rating)

MedicareRx Rewards Plus is available in the following States:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa,
Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Washington D.C.,
West Virginia and Wyoming.

Choosing between a basic or enhanced formulary

When deciding between a Medicare Part D drug plan with either a basic or enhanced formulary the easy answer is the one that includes all your drugs. That’s a little misleading because if all your drugs are included in the enhanced plan they will be covered in the basic plan from the same company. The point is, don’t over insure.

If you require very few common or generic drugs or do not require any drugs at all, enrolling in a plan such as MedicareRx Rewards Plus may mean you are paying too much. Conversely, enrolling in MedicareRx Rewards standard if all your drugs are not covered will leave you open to an unnecessary expense.

When comparing other plans to either MedicareRx Rewards plan you should research the formularies. The same drug may be placed into different tiers by different companies.

The UniCare website includes a prescription look up tool that will allow you to get a more accurate picture of your total cost. Other factors when

comparing plans include: copay or coinsurance amounts, coverage in the gap, mail order benefits and pharmacy network.

In the end you will want to take all aspects of the MedicareRx rewards Part D plans into consideration, including the Medicare Star rating.