Medicare Drug Plan Finder Can Steer Seniors to Higher Costs

Medicare's revised plan finder now automatically displays the plan with the lowest premium on top, with the monthly premium prominently featured, reports the Associated Press . The plan finder previously sorted plans by overall cost, not just premiums. When taking into account out-of-pocket costs such as copays, the plan with the lowest total annual cost is often not the first one displayed by the current plan finder. "If they pick the plan based solely on the premium they are likely getting a plan that could cost them thousands more in a calendar year," says Christina Reeg of the Ohio Department of Insurance. She oversees a program that helps Medicare enrollees select the appropriate plan. Meanwhile, Ann Kayrish at the nonpartisan National Council on Aging notes the new plan finder can return options that do not cover all of an enrollee's medications. Medicare says it is testing ways to encourage consumers to look at total costs, such as a pop-up. Some experts said the revised tool is easier to use on mobile devices, and allows consumers to compare across Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans.