(was) kinda embarassing (now) Medicare and extra help with drug costs

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Hi Terri:What does Medicare cover? Good question. It's a maze!! Have you signed up for a Medicare drug plan? Have you applied for the "extra help" from Medicare for your medications? You really should call Medicare to ask them what they cover and what you need to do next. http://www.medicare.gov gives lots of good info too. Good luck deciphering all the Medicare Part D stuff. It's a challenge for sure but Medicare has been very helpful on the phone. I qualified for the "extra help" the first year because I was in Alaska when I applied. Medicare considers the cost of living where you are and your income level when they decide whether you qualify for the extra help or not. Go to http://www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp/ to apply for extra help with drug costs. Now that I'm back in Arizona I no longer qualify. If a person qualifies for the extra help the co-pays will be lower and the coverage gap won't apply. So it's a big, huge bummer that I won't qualify this coming year. There is a deadline for applying for extra help but I don't remember when it is.Sharon Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.. I'm back kinda embarassing (Terri) Evening/Morning MSers This is kinda embarassing but where else can I send this except maybe here smile* The

other night I went out to buy some printer cartriges cuz my 3-n-1 printer was out of ink. I bought some and went to replace them at 2:00 AM and put them in in *reverse* !!!! I tried to correct my mistake but the damned things were *stuck* and couldn't get them out..Shit (sorry) I was pissed to put it mildly and no one to blame but myself. I did something to my memorial site for ny and too but my online friend is going to help me fix that mistake. After she gets done laughing that is:-) Sooo tonight I went to Wal-Mart and had to spend the $$ for a new one..sigh* Then needed to buy other stuff including a carpet stain/clean' er because my stairs (all 3 flights) are stained from my two cats from them running up and down fighting and playing. Which means my boy cat gets so excited he pee's a small amout. Then my daughter Joni forgets and gives him treats that he can't digest well and he throws-up!! You guessed it on my stairs cuz he's *lactose* intolerant.. .grrrr!! The printer, the carpet cleaner, combined with other things I needed came to a total of $194.00 that I didn't need to spend. It's late almost 2:00 so think I'll wait until morning to install this one with my luck I'd screw that one up too..smile* I might even get the courage to call *Shared Solutions* tomorrow as well and ask about getting on copaxone. I've been on Avonex since it became available and liked the

1/week dosing but my neuro wanted me to switch to copaxone because he thinks I have developed neutralizing antibiodies since my MS has gone from relaspsing-remittin g to chronic progrogressive since about 2003. I am now on medicare effective 10/06 so I have no idea what the costs are going to be? Avonex won't cover me like they used to since I am now chronic progressive and have only 3 doses left in my fridge. It was great paying $25.00 for a 3 month supply now I am totally in the dark about what or if even medicare covers my costs with the copaxone. Many Hugs Terri

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