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THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In 2009, 97 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to a drug plan with premiums that are the same as this year's or even lower, Medicare officials announced Thursday.
The various Medicare prescription drug plans in the agency's "Part D" program cover about 90 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries, Kerry Weems, the acting administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), said during a late morning press teleconference Thursday.
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Overall, 25.4 million Americans are currently enrolled in some type of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Open enrollment in the 2009 Part D plans begins Nov. 15 and ends Dec. 31.
There was more good news, according to Weems. "Part D continues to come in under budget and has consistently high satisfaction rates, and with it, millions of Americans are living better lives," he said, noting that, "Medicare's Part D prescription drug plan will enter its fourth year when open enrollment begins in November."
From year to year, Medicare prescription drug providers do change their plans, Weems said, so it's important that enrollees check up on their plan to see if anything has been altered.
"Some beneficiaries will see significant changes in their plans. These could be changes in premiums or changes in coverage," Weems said. "We are encouraging all beneficiaries to review how their plans are changing and what other options are available to determine which plan best meets their needs," he said.
For instance, the monthly premium for the most popular Medicare Part D plan, the AARP Medicare Rx Preferred Plan, will rise 15 percent, from $32 to $37. The next most popular plans are offered by Humana Inc., and the premium for the standard Humana plan will go up 60 percent, from about $25 to $40. The premium for the enhanced Humana plan will go up from about $23 to $38, the Associated Press reported.
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