Walgreens Offers Support Evaluating Medicare Part D Plans

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(EON:Enhanced Online News)--Seniors are gearing up for the annual task of reviewing prescription Medicare Part D plans for the start of the open enrollment period tomorrow through Dec. 31. Again this year, Walgreens pharmacists will be one of the best resources for Medicare information, offering a free personalized report enhanced to make it even easier for seniors and caregivers to identify a plan that best fits their needs.

“We understand this decision can be overwhelming, so we are working to make sure people don’t miss out on significant savings because they don’t know how to evaluate their options”

The report is available in minutes at any of the more than 6,000 Walgreens pharmacies nationwide. Pharmacists can enter a list of the patient’s medications and generate a printout detailing each plan’s estimated annual costs including premiums and co-pays, coverage through the “doughnut hole”, savings with generics versus brand name drugs and 90-day supply allowances. This system also allows pharmacists to ask a few questions to determine whether someone may qualify for the Extra Help subsidy and automatically print an application. Patients who meet certain income requirements may be eligible for lower co-payments.

“Since the launch of Part D in 2005, we have prepared more than 1.5 million free Medicare reports that people have found helpful,” said Kermit Crawford, Walgreens senior vice president of pharmacy services. “Two years into the program, most seniors and caregivers are familiar with the basic concept of Part D. But with so many plans and factors to consider, it’s still difficult to make a selection without one-on-one assistance. Our report simplifies the decision-making process by providing information tailored for each individual in a way that makes it easy to compare options.”

Seniors already enrolled in a plan are urged to review any changes in cost and terms and make certain the plan still covers all their medications. Walgreens also recommends that seniors who switch plans do so well before the Dec. 31 deadline in order to ensure processing is complete before they need to refill prescriptions in early January.

“We understand this decision can be overwhelming, so we are working to make sure people don’t miss out on significant savings because they don’t know how to evaluate their options,” said Crawford. “We want seniors to know there’s a plan out there that will work for them, and we can help them find it."

For more information on the personalized report and Medicare Part D counseling services available at Walgreens, contact your local store or go to Walgreens.com.

Walgreens (NYSE:WAG)(NASDAQ:WAG) is the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates 6,059 stores in 49 states and Puerto Rico, including 77 Happy Harry’s stores in Delaware and surrounding states. Walgreens is expanding its patient-first health care services beyond traditional pharmacy through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, and Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary that manages convenient care clinics inside drugstores. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives, Inc. (a pharmacy benefits manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC.

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