How Other Insurance Works with Medicare Drug Coverage
Employer or Union Health Coverage -
This is health coverage based on your, your spouse’s, or other family member's
current or former employment.
If you have prescription drug coverage based on employment, your employer or
union will notify you each year to let you know if your drug coverage is
creditable. Keep the information you get. Call your benefits administrator for
more information before making any changes to your coverage.
COBRA -
This is a Federal law that may allow you to temporarily keep employer or union
health coverage after the employment ends or after you lose coverage as a
dependent of the covered employee.
There may be reasons why you should take Part B instead of COBRA. However, if
you take COBRA and it includes creditable prescription drug coverage, you will
have a special enrollment period to join a Medicare drug plan without paying a
penalty when the COBRA coverage ends. Talk with your State Health Insurance
Assistance Program (SHIP) to see if COBRA is a good choice for you.
Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) Policy with Prescription Drug Coverage -
Medigap policies are no longer sold with prescription drug coverage, but if you
have drug coverage under a current Medigap policy, you can keep it. But you may
want to join a Medicare drug plan instead, because most Medigap drug coverage
isn’t creditable.
If you join a Medicare drug plan, your Medigap insurance company must remove the
prescription drug coverage under your Medigap policy and adjust your premiums.
Call your Medigap insurance company for more information.
How Other Government Insurance Works with Medicare Drug Coverage
Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) -
for current and retired Federal employees and their family members.
If you join a Medicare drug plan, you can keep your FEHBP plan, and your plan
will let you know who pays first. For more information, contact the Office of
Personnel Management at 1-888-767-6738, or visit the Office of
Personnel Management website. TTY users
should call 1-800-878-5707. You can also call your plan if you have questions.
Veterans Benefits
for veterans and people who served in the U.S. military.
You may be able to get prescription drug coverage through the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) program. You may join a Medicare drug plan, but if you do,
you can’t use both types of coverage for the same prescription. For more
information, call the VA at 1-800-827-1000, or visit the VA website. TTY users
should call 1-800-829-4833.
TRICARE (Military Health Benefits) -
for active-duty service members, retirees, and their families.
Most people with TRICARE who are entitled to Part A must have
Part B to keep TRICARE prescription drug benefits. If you have TRICARE, you
aren’t required to join a Medicare drug plan. If you do, your Medicare drug plan
pays first, and TRICARE pays second. If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan with
prescription drug coverage, TRICARE won’t pay for your prescription drugs. For
more information, call the TRICARE pharmacy contractor at 1 877 363 8779, or
visit the TRICARE website. TTY users should call 1-877-540-6261.
Indian Health Services -
for American Indian/Alaska Natives.
If you get prescription drugs through an Indian health pharmacy, you pay nothing
and your coverage won’t be interrupted. Joining a Medicare drug plan may help
your Indian health provider with costs, because the drug plan pays part of the
cost of your prescriptions. Talk to your benefits coordinator - they can help
you choose a plan that meets your needs and explain how Medicare works with your
health care system.