What Insulin Is Covered By Medicare Part D

What Are Your Costs With Medicare

Plans vary on what and how much they cover.

Medicare Part B

First, you have to pay your deductible. Then Medicare Part B pays up to 80% of the remaining costs. Your share sits at 20% plus coinsurance and copayments unless you have a Medicare Supplement plan to help cover those costs.

Medicare Part C

Medicare Advantage coverage can vary widely from plan to plan. Some cover virtually everything. Others have deductibles and endless copays and coinsurance fees. What you pay for insulin and other supplies depends on the plan you select.

Medicare Part D

Whether you have a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan or an MA Prescription Drug plan, you may have to pay a deductible, copays, and coinsurance. Everything depends on the plan you select. Particularly as an insulin user, make sure your plan covers your doctor-prescribed insulin or includes it as an exception.

Pricing your medications can get very complicated. Each Part D plan has a different list of drugs it covers, called a formulary. It also assigns each medication, from generics to high-cost specialty drugs, to a pricing tier. So if you take several medications, this makes comparing plans a challenge.

Medicare Coverage Of Insulin

Under Original Medicare Parts A and B insulin is not covered. You are required to pay 100% of the cost for insulin and insulin pens, in addition to related insulin supplies such as alcohol swabs, insulin needles, syringes, and gauze.

The reason that Original Medicare does not cover insulin and supplies related to its administration is that prescription drugs does not fall under the services covered by hospital insurance or medical insurance, which are the areas Part A and Part B deal with respectively.

Instead, seniors who wish to receive coverage for prescription medications like insulin must enroll in Medicare Part D, also known as a Medicare prescription drug plan, or they must enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug benefits.

Subsidyextra Help From Medicare For Your Drug Costs And Premiums

If you get Extra Help from Medicare to help pay for your Medicare prescription drug plan costs, your monthly plan premium will be lower than what it would be if you did not get Extra Help from Medicare. The amount of Extra Help you get will determine your total monthly plan premium as a member of our plan. This table shows you what your monthly plan premium will be if you get Extra Help.

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How Much Do Insulin Pumps Cost

In a 2019 study of 241 adults with Medicare and type 1 diabetes who used insulin pumps, 24 percent described the cost of the insulin pump as a challenge. Another 29 percent cited the cost of insulin pump supplies as a challenge.

According to a 2017 study published in The American Journal of Managed Care, insulin pumps cost about $4,500, plus about $1,500 for supplies, such as:

According to a 2018 article in Modern Healthcare, the Omnipod tubeless insulin pump may cost as much as $3,000 to $4,000 per month. Both of these costs are before Medicare pays a portion.

Insulin pump costs can vary by manufacturer and model. Some may have more expensive options, such as a touchscreen, waterproof casing, or a larger insulin reservoir.

If youre thinking about how an insulin pump may improve your diabetes management, consider the following coverage information about each part of Medicare.

What Does Medicare Pay For Diabetes Supplies And Services

In general, Medicare pays 80% and you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for diabetes supplies and services covered by Part B after the yearly deductible is met. Your percentage share of the cost is called coinsurance.

You may pay a coinsurance amount or a copayment for items covered by Part D. What you pay depends on the terms of your specific Part D plan.

Some services, such as medical nutrition therapy and A1C tests, may be provided at no additional cost to you.

Medicare Advantage plans cover diabetes supplies and services, too, and often additional services such as vision, dental and hearing care. The costs and items covered will depend on the specific plan you have.

When it comes to managing diabetes, be sure to review how your Medicare coverage may cover what you need. Also, your annual Medicare Wellness Visit is a great time to talk to your doctor and make sure youre up to date with preventive care services that support your diabetes care.

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When To Enroll In Medicare Part D

It is important to be aware of your enrollment window for Medicare Part D in order to avoid a costly late enrollment penalty. You are first eligible to enroll in a prescription drug plan during your Initial Enrollment Period .

The Initial Enrollment Period is a 7-month time frame that begins 3 months before your 65th birthday, runs through your birth month, and ends 3 months after your 65th birthday.

If you miss enrolling during your IEP or decide to delay Part D coverage, you will have to pay a late enrollment penalty. The late enrollment penalty is a permanent amount that is added to your monthly Part D premium and remains in place the entire time you are enrolled in a prescription drug plan through Medicare.

If you are already enrolled in a Part D plan and wish to switch to a Senior Savings Model plan that provides predictable insulin coverage, you can do so during the Annual Enrollment Period .

AEP runs from October 15 December 7 each year. This is also the first opportunity for individuals who missed their IEP or delayed enrollment to enroll in a prescription drug plan.

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Medicare Part D Costs For Insulin

The cost for insulin can vary depending on the Medicare Part D plan you choose and the coverage phase you are in. Typically there are four phases of Medicare Part D Coverage. Your cost for insulin will change depending on the phase you are in. The phases and costs include:

Deductible Phase: You are responsible for 100% of the cost of your insulin until you reach your plan deductible. The standard deductible for a Part D plan is around $445.

Initial Coverage Phase: During this phase, you are responsible for the copay amount for your insulin which is set by your Part D plan carrier. Copays can vary between drug plans. However, Insulin usually lands higher on the tier list and thus requires a larger copay.

Coverage Gap : During the donut hole phase you are responsible for 25% of the cost of your insulin. For example, if your insulin costs $400 a vile you will have to pay around $100.

Catastrophic Coverage: In this phase, you are responsible for about 5% of the cost of your insulin.

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Medicare Part D Insulin Coverage

Your Medicare coverage falls under one of two overall plans:

• Original Medicare Part A and B , or
• Medicare Part C .

Lets look at what each plan covers in terms of insulin, other diabetes-controlling drugs, and various diabetic supplies.

Medicare Part B only covers insulin if you use an external insulin pump. In that case, both the pump and its insulin may be covered under durable medical equipment . You will have to buy them from an approved Medicare DME supplier or a retail pharmacy set up to bill Medicare as a DME supplier.

If your insulin is delivered any way other than an external pump, you will have to opt for coverage with Medicare Part D.

Does Medicare Part C Cover Insulin?

Medicare Advantage is a government-regulated alternative to Original Medicare. It is offered by many private insurance carriers and covers almost everything Original Medicare does. It also covers additional benefits not included in Original Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage , which covers insulin.

Different Medicare Advantage plans cover different medications. In selecting a specific plan, check if it covers the insulin prescribed by your doctor. Also, make sure to check the cost online tools allow you to search for available plans by specific medications.

A critical heads-up

Medicare Advantage plans tend to adjust their offerings at the end of the year, which can affect your insulin coverage.

Does Medicare Part D Cover Insulin?

Insulin Pen Coverage From Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans

Part D plans are the most common go-to way of getting insulin coverage. Like Part C plans, Part D plans are sold by private insurance companies. This means that the costs and exact coverage details will vary depending on which plan you choose. Part D only covers prescription drugs, and over 70% of people enrolled in Medicare have a Part D plan. There are many plans on the market for you to compare.

Each Part D plan will have its own formulary that splits drugs into tiers. A drug tier is a level that tells you how much coverage applies to that drug and how much you will have to pay in co-payments or co-insurance for it. When you compare Part D plans, looking at the formulary is the way to find out how expensive insulin will be under that plan.

Each Part D plan may have a different coverage model for other supplies. There are some Part D plans that cover supplies like monitors and alcohol swabs, and some may cover insulin pens as well. However, you shouldnt assume that a given plan does without confirming.

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Alternate Site Blood Glucose Monitors

Aetna considers alternate site blood glucose monitors medically necessary DME for the following persons with diabetes, when an alternate site blood glucose monitor is recommended by their physician:

Alternate site blood glucose monitors have no proven value over standard blood glucose monitors for other indications.

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Introduction To Medicare Part D

This section constitutes an introduction to Part D. For more detailed information on any of the topics in this section, please click on the links within the topics. There, you will also find relevant legislative, statutory and CFR citation.

Prior to 2006, Medicare paid for some drugs administered during a hospital admission , or a doctors office . Medicare did not cover outpatient prescription drugs until January 1, 2006, when it implemented the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, authorized by Congress under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. This Act is generally known as the MMA.

The Part D drug benefit helps Medicare beneficiaries to pay for outpatient prescription drugs purchased at retail, mail order, home infusion, and long-term care pharmacies.

Unlike Parts A and B, which are administered by Medicare itself, Part D is privatized. That is, Medicare contracts with private companies that are authorized to sell Part D insurance coverage. These companies are both regulated and subsidized by Medicare, pursuant to one-year, annually renewable contracts. In order to have Part D coverage, beneficiaries must purchase a policy offered by one of these companies.

The costs associated with Medicare Part D include a monthly premium, an annual deductible , co-payments and co-insurance for specific drugs, a gap in coverage called the Donut Hole, and catastrophic coverage once a threshold amount has been met.

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Lists Of Covered Drugs

Below are the lists of covered drugs in our Cigna Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans . If your medication appears on the drug list, then it is a covered medication under that plan. Your medication might have certain requirements, such as prior authorization, quantity limits, or step therapy. You can use the list to check for other medications that treat your condition.

Options For Coverage Under Medicare

When you are eligible to enroll in Medicare, you have two basic options.

The first option is to enroll in Original Medicare Parts A and B, which is managed by the federal government. Youll need to enroll in a Part D drug plan separately from your enrollment in Original Medicare since the Part D portion of the benefit is offered only through commercial insurers.

Depending on your income, your costs for Part D coverage may be significantly reduced. In order to receive this reduction, you have to apply for the extra help. Theres no downside for applying and you can re-apply every year since your income and the qualifying criteria change each year.

For 2021, some part D plans will offer $35 insulin copays. Called the Senior Savings Model, you will need to enroll in a plan that offers this in order to get these savings. For more information about these plans, see our blog post, Remember! Enroll in Medicare Part D plans that cap insulin costs at $35.

If you enroll in Original Medicare, you can also purchase a separate Medicare supplement or Medigap policy that can cover your deductibles and cost-sharing under Parts A and B in return for a fixed monthly premium. As explained below, the ability to purchase a Medigap policy could be critical for many people with T1D and the timing of when you purchase Medigap coverage is very important.

The authoritative place for evaluating available options for Medicare coverage is the Medicare Plan Finder.

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A Medicare Proposal To Decrease Insulin Costs

In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made a proposal to decrease insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries. It is referred to as Part D Senior Savings Model and it would require participation from private insurers and pharmaceutical companies. Insurers would decrease insulin copays to $35 per month, saving an estimated 66% or more off current prices and pharmaceutical companies would adjust costs and contribute more towards the coverage gap known as the donut hole.

It is not a mandatory program but one that Medicare Advantage and Part D plans can choose to participate. In return, those plans can offer plans with higher monthly premiums. Eli Lilly and Sanofi reported they planned to take part in the program. Novo Nordisk has not yet made a commitment. Any changes would not take effect until 2021.

While the Part D Senior Savings Model will save Part D beneficiaries on the cost of insulin, it does little to benefit people who use insulin pumps. Insulin used in pumps is covered by Part B, not Part D. A recent analysis reports that under this model insulin pump users will pay more than 50% than people who get their insulin through Part D. More needs to be done to assure fair and equitable pricing so that all people on Medicare can access and afford this life-saving medication.

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Understanding Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage

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ON SCREEN TEXT: What is a Medicare Part D Plan?

The character and speech bubble separate and exit the screen on opposite sides. Blue text appears above a sheet of paper.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Medicare Part D plans areâ¦

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ON SCREEN TEXT: Stand-alone plans that provide prescription drug coverage.

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ON SCREEN TEXT: Part D plans cover certain common types of drugs as regulated by the federal government, but each plan may choose which specific drugs it covers.

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ON SCREEN TEXT: The list of drugs a plan covers is called a formulary.

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ON SCREEN TEXT: Part D plans do not cover:

ON SCREEN TEXT: Drugs that arenât on the planâs formulary

ON SCREEN TEXT: Drugs that are covered under Medicare Part A or Part B

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ON SCREEN TEXT: Drugs that are excluded by Medicare

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ON SCREEN TEXT: Medicare Made Clear® by UnitedHealthcare

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Ways To Battle High Drug Costs

A few programs can help cover the costs of your prescription drugs or even plan premiums. The Low-income Subsidy program or Extra Help is a federal plan based on income. This program can help lower or remove costs associated with deductibles, copays, coinsurance, premiums, and even the Part D penalty.

You can also check with your State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program for additional assistance.

Applied Behavior Analysis Medical Necessity Guide

The Applied Behavior Analysis Medical Necessity Guide helps determine appropriate levels and types of care for patients in need of evaluation and treatment for behavioral health conditions. The ABA Medical Necessity Guide does not constitute medical advice. Treating providers are solely responsible for medical advice and treatment of members. Members should discuss any matters related to their coverage or condition with their treating provider.

Each benefit plan defines which services are covered, which are excluded, and which are subject to dollar caps or other limits. Members and their providers will need to consult the members benefit plan to determine if there are any exclusions or other benefit limitations applicable to this service or supply.

The conclusion that a particular service or supply is medically necessary does not constitute a representation or warranty that this service or supply is covered for a particular member. The members benefit plan determines coverage. Some plans exclude coverage for services or supplies that Aetna considers medically necessary.

Please note also that the ABA Medical Necessity Guide may be updated and are, therefore, subject to change.

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