Great Holiday Gift Idea: Give Grandma and Grandpa the Give of Time

If your grandparents (or parents) are 65 or older, the best holiday gift you can give them is a few hours of your time. Help them figure out which of the 40 or more Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (aka Medicare Part D) makes the most sense for them. If they're already signed up, help them take another look - to see if they can get cheaper or better coverage elsewhere.

Unfortunately, it's not easy to choose between plans, but since you're Web savvy, you can be a big help! You'll need to gather some information, for example, a list of the drugs taken by your favorite senior(s) and their pharmacy. Then you'll need to be online for awhile, taking advantage of the very helpful tools Medicare offers. What you discover will make it much easier for your loved ones to decide on a plan. 

Fortunately for you, there's some history now with this program and some of the kinks have been ironed out. While past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results, the studies show that about 80% of seniors are satisfied with their drug plans, which they seem to have chosen based on name recognition (AARP) or low rates (Humana).

The Catches
Sounds like this approach to playing Santa is relatively straightforward, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it's not.

1. First off, you need to get on the stick. While decisions can officially be made until December 31, 2006, the folks at Medicare want to know what your seniors decide by December 8th, "to avoid any delay or inconvenience in accessing their coverage in January." So don't wait until everyone is gathered around the tree to share this gift of time!
2. There are a ton of details. The process is both confusing and complicated. Fortunately for you, some of us have been there before and offer advice to make it easier on you. Here's my contribution to the cause. Also check out the Kaiser Family Foundation's recently updated report, Talking About Medicare: Your Guide to Understanding the Program, especially the chapter on prescription drugs. And when in doubt, you can always call 800-MEDICARE.

The Payoffs

• Seniors who do sign up for Part D can save an average of $1,200 - not just in 2007, but every year for the rest of their lives. Those who make a bad choice could pay more for drugs than they do now – and those who don't sign up will face steep penalties, perhaps for the rest of their lives. But with a little help from you, your loved ones will get something priceless - peace of mind
  
• It's a gift that keeps on giving. Chances are, you'll never have to come up with another idea for a holiday present for Grandma or Grandpa. Why? Think of all the times they responded when you said, "Again!" as they pushed the swing, read a story, or played a game with you. (Now an annual ritual, we just did a Part D check-up for my mom and one of her friends, who both really appreciated this money-saving present.)

Give it a try and let us know how you make out!