Starting November 15th and lasting through the last day of the year, people that have Medicare Part A and B can sign up for their Part D benefits package. Anyone that will be applying or reapplying for benefits should start gathering up their information now for review. There have been many changes to the plan for 2011 from federal and state levels as well as from the insurers.

On average a each state has about 30 different plans to select from. Some states have over 40. Each plan will be different. Each will cover different drugs, pay different percentages and have different deductibles. The main thing you can count on is that each will have different premiums.

People receiving Medicare should take some time to catalog all the prescriptions that they take so they will have a ready list to begin this process. If you set aside the time to compare plans and see which plan covers all your medications, you will save your self a lot of money over the course of the year.

There are also many changes that have taken place this year that will affect Medicare Part D in 2011. if you have an income over $85,000 single or double that for a couple you will see an increase to your premiums this year.

The rules concerning the dounut hole in coverage is also different. Once a person reaches the limit of $2840.00 in prescription costs they enter the gap period where no plan pays for coverage until the medication costs exceed $6440.00. Starting in 2011, people in the gap area will only have to pay 50% of name brand drugs and will receive a 7% discount on generic drugs until the fill the gap requirements. After the gap period recipients will never pay more than 5% of the cost for their drugs. Low income recipients can contact their local Social Security Office and apply for the Extra Help Program to help cover the costs of the gap.

The best thing to do is take the time to review the policies being offered. There have been many changes in the insurance industry over the last year. Many companies have closed as well as many new ones have opened. By taking the time to review these new plans carefully you will guarantee that you will only pay what is necessary for proper coverage.