Saint Augustine, Fl (PRWEB) July 13, 2012
Q1Medicare.com has now updated their Medicare Part D Drug Finder with the latest Medicare drug data available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Q1Medicare Drug Finder is an easy to use online tool designed for seniors, Medicare beneficiaries, prescribers, and caregivers who want to quickly see how a particular medication is covered by different Medicare Part D plans or Medicare Advantage plans in their area. The Q1Medicare Drug Finder can be found directly at Q1Rx.com.
The most recently released Medicare drug data includes the addition of new brand-name drugs and the introduction of new generic equivalents of several popular brand-name medications. A complete summary of these Medicare drug data changes can be found in the Q1Medicare.com/Blog with links to coverage examples illustrating how different Medicare prescription drug plans cover these newly introduced medications.
Our updated Drug Finder highlights how different Medicare Part D plans are handling the coverage of these newly introduced generic medications, notes Dr. Susan Johnson, Technical Director and co-founder of Q1Group LLC. Some prescription drug plans are offering the generics at low cost-sharing rates with limited user management restrictions, whereas other Medicare plans are charging their members the same cost-sharing rates for the generics as the equivalent brand-name drugs.
As an example, the generic medication Escitalopram is now available on over 200 Medicare prescription drug plan formularies, but the cost of coverage can vary widely between Medicare plans with co-payments ranging from $ 0 to over $ 90 depending on the chosen plan. In fact, some plans treat this newly introduced generic just like the brand-name equivalent and organize the generic on the same cost-sharing tier as a Non-preferred Brand Drug. An example of the different Florida Medicare Part D plans that cover the new generic Escitalopram can be found at: Q1Rx.com/finder/FL/0093585101.
The Drug Finder search results provide users with Medicare prescription drug plan monthly premiums, cost-sharing information for both 30-day preferred pharmacy and 90-day mail order prescriptions, and detailed drug utilization management or usage restrictions for all stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans or Medicare Advantage plans offering prescription drug coverage.
The Drug Finder offers site visitors both basic and advanced search capabilities. To begin searching, Q1Medicare.com site users select their state and enter at least the first three letters of their prescription drug name, click on Search, and choose the medication from the list of possibilities. Users can also browse medications alphabetically by choosing the first letter of the drug name in the Drug Finder preference box or browse through compiled lists of the most popular Medicare drugs. For pharmacies, prescribers, and more advanced users, the Drug Finder also allows searching by the unique 11-digit National Drug Code, such as 00093585101 for 10 MG of Escitalopram.
The resulting Drug Finder comparison chart includes a link to browse each Medicare plans full drug list or formulary using the Q1Medicare Formulary Browser. The Formulary Browser can also be accessed directly at Q1Medicare.com/FormularyBrowser, where a user can browse electronically through their chosen Medicare prescription drug plans entire formulary.
The results of the Drug Finder and Formulary Browser can be sent via eMail or printed for offline use. Like other Q1Medicare.com tools, the Drug Finder and Formulary Browser are available at no cost and designed for PC, smartphone and tablet platforms.
About the Q1Medicare.com Website
Q1Medicare.com is one of the largest independent online resources for Medicare Part D prescription drug plan and Medicare Advantage plan information. Q1Medicare offers a large selection of Frequently Asked Questions, online tools, and a free Medicare Part D Newsletter all designed to help Medicare beneficiaries, healthcare professionals, advocates, advisers, caregivers, and insurance agents better understand both the Medicare Part D prescription drug and Medicare Advantage programs. Q1Medicare.com is operated by Q1Group LLC (Saint Augustine, Florida).