Online Tool Makes Medicare Plan Comparisons Possible

Medicare beneficiaries now can go online and compare details of their Medicare prescription drug plans using a revised Web site tool recently launched by CMS.

The newly revamped Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder allows beneficiaries to compare plans offered in their areas, contrasting plans based on prescription costs and monthly premiums.

CMS launched the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder in late 2005 when enrollment for the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit began. The agency has upgraded the Web site during the past two years, but this is the first time beneficiaries will have the ability to compare prescription drug plans in such detail. For example, the site now has a link that allows beneficiaries to conduct side-by-side comparisons of 2007 and 2008 prescription drug plans. This year's changes also should make it easier for beneficiaries to use the online system, said Allison Henry, a CMS spokesperson.

"We had volunteers from beneficiary and professional audiences walk through the online tools and suggest improvements," said Henry. "We wanted to find out what enhancements we could implement to make the Web site easier to use."

According to Henry, in November, the agency also will unveil a new five-star rating system beneficiaries can use to compare Medicare prescription drug plans based on access to care, quality of care, consumer satisfaction and other measures. Beneficiaries will be able to view all of the information in an online chart and, thus, will be better able to choose prescription drug plans during the program's open enrollment period.

The open enrollment period for fee-for-service plans begins Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 31 of this year; for Medicare Advantage plans, open enrollment runs from Nov. 15 through March 31, 2008.