MedicareBlue Rx Standard Prescription Plan for Iowa Medicare Beneficiaries

MedicareBlue Rx Standard (PDP) Prescription Medication Plan by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa for Iowa Seniors with Medicare Benefits.
Overall Plan Rating:This Medicare drug plan has an average rating of 3.5
Monthly Premium:
$39.60
Pharmacy Co-Pay:$160.00
Coverage Limit (ICL):$2,970.00
Pharmacy Mail Order:Yes
Gap Coverage:No Gap Coverage
Low Income Subsidy:No
Medicare Formulary:2766
PDP ID No:S5743-001
Plan Year:2013
Approved by CMS for: IA Residents
Rx Plan Type:Regional
Est. Regional Members:243063
THIS IS ARCHIVE DATA, NOT A CURRENT YEAR PAGE.

2018 Medicare Prescription Medication Plan Overview

Healthy Iowa Medicare Part D Plan: MedicareBlue Rx Standard (PDP) S5743-001MedicareBlue Rx Standard (PDP) is an approved Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) for Iowa seniors.

The annual premium is $475.20 ($39.60 monthly), and it carries a $160.00 deductible on all prescribed medications. For 2013, the maximum Part D deductible is $325. It goes up a little each year. It went up $5 from last year.

The Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa formulary ID for this plan is 00012204, and it features 2766 FDA approved medications.

For all Iowa seniors with Medicare benefits, there are two conditions that can change the amount you pay for your plan. The first is quailfying for the Extra Help program, which lowers your premium. The second is the opposite: if a premium penalty has been imposed on you for not enrolling right away at age 65 open enrollment, then your premium will be marginally higher.

Below are a few plans that are comparable to MedicareBlue Rx Standard:

MedicareBlue Rx Standard Initial Coverage

In the ICP (Initial Coverage Phase) the cost of your prescriptions is shared with your insurance company. You and the carrier each pay your share (as determined by the plan) until you reach the Initial Coverage Limit (ICL). In 2013, the ICL is $2,970 and this number changes each year. This plan has a deductible that you must pay before ICP cost-sharing ICP begins.

Each prescription medication is put into a tier within each Medicare Part D plan's drug formulary. Different tiers have different levels of cost-sharing. It's important to note that these tiers are not completely standardiszed and your prescriptions may be found in different tiers on differnt plans. This is why we provide access to all Part D plans' drug formularies, so you can compare what the cost is for your prescription drugs for different Part D plasn in your area.

The pharmacy co-pay with the MedicareBlue Rx Standard (PDP) plan in Iowa is tiered as follows:

Tier  Co-Pay AmountMedications in Tier
1$4.00609 Preferred Generics
2$10.001092 Non-Preferred Generics
3$35.00381 Preferred Brands
448%684 Non-Preferred Brands
50 Specialty Medications

The Initial Coverage Limit (ICL) is $2,970.00. This prescription plan does not qualify for the $0 LIS premium.

MedicareBlue Rx Standard (PDP) 2013 Coverage Gap

The Coverage Gap (aka, "Donut Hole") is the coverage phase where you must pay all of your medication costs. Some plans provide donut hole coverage, and if you think that your drug costs will be high enough to get to this level, you should consider a plan with donut hole coverage. You can learn more about costs in the donut hole by reading What is the Medicare Part D Donut Hole? How long it will take you to reach the donut hole with the MedicareBlue Rx Standard (PDP) plan depends on your specific prescriptions.

The Gap Coverage with this policy: You must pay the $3727.50.

Plan Members

Nationwide, the number of seniors using the MedicareBlue Rx Standard policy is 243,063. In region 25 (your region) there are approximately 243,063 people with this policy (based on 2011 CMS statistics).

More Information About Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa

Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield is a mutual insurance company owned by its policyholders. Wellmark and its subsidiaries provide health coverage to more than 2 million members in Iowa and South Dakota. And through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Wellmark is part of a trusted national network that covers more than 100 million people. That's nearly 1/3 of all Americans.

Wellmark offers flexible benefit designs, competitive prices, and a large selection of providers. Nearly all physicians and hospitals in Iowa and South Dakota participate with Wellmark, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association provides extensive national and international coverage.

The summary (overall) rating for this plan is 3.5 out of 5 based on reviews from 243063 user ratings from the previous year. For more information about the review process, visit http://cms.gov.

Iowa Medicare Part D Plans

 
MedicareBenefits.us is not associated with the federal government. All plan information provided on this site is collected from public sources (e.g., cms.gov, carrier's website, plan brochures, etc.). Rates shown are for comparison purpose only. Contact your Medicare agent or Medicare.gov for a binding quote.