July 10th 2024
By Ari Parker
Medicare Part D in West Virginia: Plans, Providers, and Costs
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July 10th 2024
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If there’s one thing that most Medicare beneficiaries agree on, it's that Medicare can be complicated. It’s no different with Medicare Part D. We’re here to make it simple for you by focusing on what you should compare across drug plans in West Virginia.
This post will help you understand what to expect from Medicare Part D in West Virginia in 2024. We’ll go over how much plans cost, insurance carriers that provide them, and how to find the best policy for you.
In 2024, there are seven insurance providers that offer a total of 20 Part D plans in West Virginia.
The highest-premium drug plan is $88 and the lowest-premium drug plan is $.50.
Wellcare, Highmark Blue Shield, and UnitedHealthcare prescription drug plans received the highest Medicare star ratings (3.5 stars) for Part D plans in WV.
Your prescription costs will vary based on your plan and the prescriptions you take. Talk to a licensed Medicare Advisor to compare and pick the best Part D coverage in West Virginia.
Before we get into specifics for Medicare Part D in West Virginia, we’ll provide a quick overview of Part D. Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) cover your healthcare costs. Medicare Part D is your prescription drug coverage. You can sign up for prescription coverage through a standalone Part D plan or by enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes Part D (this is often called an MA+PD plan).
The costs of prescription drug plans vary between policies, and one policy could have different costs based on where you live. What you pay for prescriptions will depend on your prescription coverage and the medications you take. Each Medicare drug plan has its own formulary, which is a list of drugs that the plan covers. The price of your covered drugs depends on what drug tiers they’re on. Generally, the lower the drug tier, the cheaper the drug. For example, most generic drugs are on Tier 1, which has the lowest copay and coinsurance amounts.
You can enroll in Part D during your Initial Enrollment Period, during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, or during a Special Enrollment Period. If you miss signing up during these enrollment periods and you go 63 days without creditable drug coverage, you could face a Medicare Part D penalty on top of your monthly premium.
325,237 people in West Virginia have Part D, which is about 73% of people who are enrolled in Medicare in the state. There are 20 prescription drug plans available in West Virginia and seven insurance providers offer them. We’ll go over which companies offer Medicare prescription drug plans, what their ratings are, and how much they cost. This information can guide you toward a plan that works for your prescription needs and budget.
There are seven insurance providers in West Virginia that provide prescription drug plans. These companies are:
Aetna Medicare
Cigna
Highmark Blue Shield
Humana
Mutual Omaha Rx
UnitedHealthcare
Wellcare
These carriers offer a total of 20 Medicare prescription drug plans in West Virginia. Nationwide, Medicare beneficiaries have an average of 21 Part D plans to choose from.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services judges prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans every year and awards them with a rating from 1 (worst plan) to 5 (best plan). While you shouldn’t enroll in a plan solely based on Medicare star ratings, they can help you understand the quality of Medicare plans.
Details about top-rated Part D plans in West Virginia:
Wellcare, Highmark Blue Shield, and UnitedHealthcare offer plans that received 3.5 stars
Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Humana offer plans received 3 stars
No West Virginia Part D plans received 4 or more stars
For comparison, the average star rating for all Part D plans in the US was 3.11 in 2024.
Knowing the cost of Medicare drug plans in West Virginia can help you compare policies and choose the right fit for your budget. We’ll give you the range of premiums based on the highest-cost and lowest-cost plan. Keep in mind that your premium is only one cost to consider though. You should always calculate your out-of-pocket costs for the prescriptions you need when comparing prescription drug plans.
In West Virginia, the Wellcare Value Script plan has the lowest monthly premium at $.50. The Mutual of Omaha Rx Premier has the highest monthly premium at $88.20. Deductibles vary with prescription drug plans, but no drug plan can have a deductible higher than $545 in 2024.
The average monthly premium for prescription drug plans in West Virginia is $49, which is about the same as the national average of $48.
To get a sense of your drug and premium costs, you can add your medications and pharmacies into Medicare’s plan finder tool, check plans’ summary of benefits, or get help from a Chapter Medicare agent.
So far, we’ve only discussed the details around standalone prescription drug plans in West Virginia. Medicare beneficiaries can also receive drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage. With these plans, your drug costs aren’t the only thing you’ll have to pay attention to. You also have to consider plan premiums, provider networks, and out-of-pocket costs for your health insurance. Most Medicare Advantage plans come with prescription drug coverage, and many of those plans have zero-dollar premiums. Read up on Medicare Advantage plans in West Virginia to learn more about what to expect and how to choose the right plan.
We’ll simplify the process of finding the right drug plan in West Virginia with this step-by-step guide. Each of these steps helps you focus on your unique needs so you can choose the Part D plan that minimizes your costs.
Step 1: Write down a list of drugs you use and how frequently you take them. For example, if you need 30 5mg tablets of Farxiga every month, write those details down.
Step 2: Understand your budget. Now that you know how much premiums can be in West Virginia, what is the maximum you’re able to pay for premiums and prescription costs?
Step 3: Compare the plans that cover your drugs. Pay attention to premiums, preferred pharmacies, the cost of your drugs, and deductibles. You can look at plans on your own by using Medicare’s plan finder tool or by reaching out to a Chapter Medicare agent who can easily help you compare your costs across all Part D plans.
Between premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, calculating your cost for prescriptions can feel challenging. We want you to be confident in your prescription drug plan! A licensed Medicare Advisor at Chapter can help you enroll in the right plan for you—call us at 855-900-2427 or schedule a time to chat to get matched with the best drug plan in West Virginia for you.
