By Steve Maas Globe Correspondent
An older friend of mine suffers from severe itching. Only one prescription ointment works for him. A two-ounce tube costs $408 at the pharmacy, but his Medicare drug plan doesn’t cover it. Other Medicare drug plans, though, would leave him with a copay as low as $10.
Another Medicare beneficiary I know has Parkinson’s disease. Under his Medicare plan, he would have a $291 copay for a month’s supply of a vital drug. Under another plan, his copay would be as low as $9.
Is your head spinning? Mine is. Fortunately, there is some method to this madness. And for Medicare recipients, now is the time to understand it.