Here is some basic information about changes to the 2011 Medicare plans. Keep in mind this is a basic overview. For more information about Medicare, go to www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Both lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Additionally, you can find detailed information in the 2011 Medicare & You Guideline.

$250 rebate in 2010

• If you have had Medicare prescription drug coverage in 2010 and are not already receiving Medicare Extra Help, Medicare will send you a tax-free, one-time $250 rebate check after you reach the coverage gap. You may have heard this coverage gap called the donut hole. You will receive the check within 60 days of when you enter the donut hole. You do not need to apply or file any kind of request to receive a rebate.
• Rebate checks are being mailed each month as Medicare members enter the coverage gap. This benefit only happens one time. So, if you qualify, you will only receive one check after you reach the coverage gap. Remember, to get your check, you do not need to give anyone any personal information - like your Medicare, Social Security, or bank account numbers. For your safety, do not give personal information to anyone who calls you about the $250 rebate check.

If you have questions about the Medicare-sponsored $250 donut hole rebate, please visit www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Both lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Medicare Prescription Coverage Gap Discount Program for brand-name medicines beginning in 2011

• Beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare is making changes to help with the cost of medicines while people with Medicare are in the Prescription Drug Plan coverage gap, known as the donut hole. This program is the Medicare Prescription Coverage Gap Discount Program.
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency in charge of the Medicare program, is working with the companies that manufacture prescription medicines to give you nearly 50% off on covered brand-name prescriptions while you are in the coverage gap.
• Medicare members receiving the low-income subsidy or are covered by a qualified, commercial prescription plan through an employer will not qualify for this discount.
• Medicare members do not need to call CMS when they enter the donut hole. CMS keeps track of your spending on prescription medicines with your health plan and the Medicare Prescription Coverage Gap Discount Program will automatically start when you reach the coverage gap. You don’t need to do anything.

Coverage in the gap for generic prescription medicines also begins in 2011

Also beginning on January 1, 2011, CMS will work with health plans to help you pay for generic drugs while you are in the donut hole. You will have 7% of the cost covered. Keep in mind, however, that if you have generic coverage with another plan, you may not be eligible for any more help.

Preventive screenings

Starting January 1, 2011, Original Medicare will cover 100% of the cost for more than 18 different tests that help find illnesses before they become the most serious. These preventive health services are to help you and your doctor take care of your health. The tests are:

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
• Bone Mass
• Cardiovascular Screenings
• Cervical and Vaginal Cancer Screening (Pap Test and Pelvic Exam)
• Colon Cancer Screening (Colorectal)
• Diabetes Screenings
• Diabetes Self-Management Training
• EKG Screening
• Flu Shots
• Glaucoma Tests
• HIV Screening
• Hepatitis B Shots
• Breast Cancer Screening (Mammograms)
• Medical Nutrition Therapy Services
• Pneumococcal Shot
• Prostate Cancer Screenings
• Smoking Cessation (counseling to stop smoking)
• Welcome to Medicare Physical Exam (one-time physical exam) - Humana covers annual routine physicals

Your doctor should already know about these benefits and can explain the tests or services to you in more detail. Be sure to have these tests because they can improve your chance of finding and treating illness early.

Reduced Subsidy for high-income beneficiaries

Starting January 1, 2011, Medicare members who earn more than $85,000 a year, filing single, or more than $170,000 a year, filing jointly, will pay more for their Medicare coverage. This change will have a direct impact on the cost of your Part D Prescription Drug Plan coverage. The Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration will manage this change. They will lower the amount coming from your Social Security benefits, and your premium will increase.

Annual Disenrollment Period

Also, new in beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare has new rules for changing your Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug coverage through an Annual Disenrollment Period or ADP.

• ADP is from January 1 through February 14. During ADP, people who have a Medicare Advantage plan can go back to Original Medicare and enroll in a stand-alone drug plan and end enrollment in Medicare Advantage. You will no longer be able to switch the insurer that provides your Medicare Advantage plan during this time.
• If you want to make these changes during AEP, you must ask by February 14, 2011. For more details, call 1-800-Medicare or visit www.Medicare.gov.
• The new rules about when you can make changes apply to all plans except Medicare Advantage-only Private-Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans. If you are enrolled in an MA-only PFFS plan and want to go back to Original Medicare with a stand-alone drug plan, you must ask your PFFS insurer to disenroll you from the PFFS plan before you can enroll in a stand-alone drug plan. Even if you enroll in a stand-alone PDP, you will still be in the MA-only PFFS until you ask to be disenrolled.

Note: People who have Medicare plans through a group such as an employer have their own enrollment period. The ADP does not apply. If you have questions about your plan, please see your company's benefits administrator.

Remember: If you still have questions about these changes or Medicare, go to www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Both lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.