In October of 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the first major update to their Medicare Plan Finder in over a decade. In order to appeal to a more tech savvy clientele, the overhaul was designed to make the tool both easier-to-use and more mobile-friendly. Initially it hit a few bumps in the road, and there were complaints about misinformation and things not working correctly, but those problems are being addressed.
The Medicare Plan Finder is the most used tool on Medicare.gov, and the updated tool creates an entirely new experience for consumers. After creating an account and logging in to the site, users can now enter their zip code and easily find and compare plans available in their area.
What’s New
With the new tool, users can:
Compare pricing between Original Medicare, Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, Medicare Advantage plans
Compare up to three Part D or three Medicare Advantage plans in a side-by-side view
Enter a personal drug list and find the Part D plan that best meets their needs
The new Plan Finder also offers Webchat for customer support, and it has feedback buttons for reporting customer experience.
Easy to Compare Plans
In the side-by-side comparison, plans can be filtered by:
Star Rating
Carrier
What the plan covers (Dental, Vision, Hearing, Transportation, Fitness).
Plans can also be sorted by:
Lowest yearly deductible
Lowest drug and premium cost
Lowest monthly premium
Prescription Drug Lists
One big difference with the new tool is the change in prescription drug lists. Before, drug lists could be created with a drug list ID and a password date. Now, users must enter their Medicare number in order to create a drug list, which means that people who are not yet enrolled in Medicare cannot preview the search tool without having to submit their drugs every time. Many people don’t like this change, but CMS is unlikely to switch back to their old ways.
Something for Everyone
With approximately 10,000 people joining the ranks of Medicare each day, the new tool is designed to be modern and easy to use. However, for beneficiaries who prefer paper and a phone call to an online experience, Medicare will still offer the Medicare & You handbook and customer service over the phone at 1-800-MEDICARE.
If you have questions or need guidance, please feel free to contact me by phone or email.