Are Medicare Supplements and Part D plans standardized?

Medicare Supplements are standardized, so a particular lettered plan provides the same basic benefits no matter which company sells it, although premiums and company service can differ.

Prescription drug plans, also known as Part D, are not standardized in the same way: each plan can have a different formulary, premium, deductible, copays and preferred-pharmacy network.

Formularies and plan costs can change from year to year, and Medicare’s rules can change too.

Pay attention to the Annual Notice of Change your drug plan sends and compare your prescriptions and pharmacies with the coming year’s coverage.

Some Part D plans pay agents little or no commission, so it helps to have an agent who is still willing to do that part of the job because it is the right thing to do.

Source: Medicare.gov: How Part D coverage works

This general educational information is not individual plan advice. Plan availability and benefits vary by location and contract year.