Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707

Welfare Fund / Group Legal Fund

 

Important Notice from the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund

About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare

 

Please read this notice carefully and keep it where you can find it. This notice has information about your current prescription drug coverage as an Active participant with the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund and the new prescription drug coverage available January 1, 2006 for people eligible for and enrolled in Medicare. It also tells you where to find more information to help you make decisions about your prescription drug coverage.

 

1.       Starting January 1, 2006, new Medicare prescription drug coverage will be available to everyone with Medicare.

2.       The Plan has determined that the prescription drug coverage offered by the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund   is, on average for all plan participants (and their eligible dependents), expected to pay out as much as the standard Medicare prescription drug coverage will pay.

3.       Read this notice carefully - it explains the options you have under Medicare prescription drug coverage and can help you decide whether you want to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan.

 

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

 

First:       Read this entire Notice.

Second:  Compare your current coverage with the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund to the coverage              available to you in the Medicare prescription drug plans available in your area.

Third:      Decide whether you want to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. 

 

 KEEP IN MIND:

 

·          If you want to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan for 2006, you must do so between November 15, 2005 and May 15, 2006.

·          If you do enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan, you may keep your current coverage with Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund provided you are actively employed in a unionized day care center and have elected the employer benefits as primary coverage.

·          If you do not enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan, your coverage with this plan as an active employee continues.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM

 

 You may have heard about Medicare’s new prescription drug coverage (Part D), and wondered how it would affect you and your current prescription drug coverage under the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund.  Starting January 1, 2006, prescription drug coverage will be available to everyone with Medicare.  This coverage will be available through private Medicare prescription drug plans. All Medicare prescription drug plans will provide at least a standard level of coverage set by Medicare. Some plans might also offer more coverage for a higher monthly premium.

 

 You need to compare your current prescription coverage with the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund to the Medicare prescription drug plans available where you live.

 

 
ISSUES TO CONSIDER AS YOU COMPARE YOUR PRESCRIPTION COVERAGE WITH THE DAY CARE COUNCIL-LOCAL 205, D.C. 1707 WELFARE FUND TO A MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN

 

 

 

Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

Premiums

You do not have to pay a monthly premium for your prescription drug benefits.

You pay the premium to the Medicare prescription drug plan that you choose.  The amount will depend on the type of coverage that you choose.

For people with limited income and resources, extra help paying for a Medicare prescription drug plan is available.

Covered Drugs

You should already know how this plan decides what drugs are covered and how that impacts you.

If you need information about your current benefits, a copy of your Summary Plan Description is available

Each Medicare prescription drug plan will cover different brand name drugs at different costs to you. 

Your drugs may not be covered under every plan, so you need to choose carefully.  For instance, one plan might cover your current brand-name medication, and another might not.

Cost-Sharing

The individual deductible is $100 and the Family deductible is $200 annually.  See the next chart for your copayment amounts.

Each Medicare prescription drug plan may have a different deductible, copayments, and other costs that you will be responsible for paying.

Pharmacies

You should already be familiar with the retail and mail order pharmacies used by this plan.

Each Medicare prescription drug plan will have a different network of retail and mail order pharmacies.

 

Click Here to See more