October · The Decision Calendar

The Plan Review

Alex Alston

Compare two plans on what they will actually cost you across the year — premium plus deductible plus your real drug costs — instead of on the premium, which is the number that misleads people.

Medicare open enrollment · October 15 – December 7 Marketplace · November 1 – January 15
01Your prescriptions Full retail cost, before any plan

Enter the total annual retail cost of your medications — what they would cost with no coverage at all. The Plan Finder at medicare.gov will give you this precisely once you enter your drugs and pharmacy; a rough figure works here.

02The two plans From your envelope, or the Plan Finder

Plan A — what you have now

Plan B — the alternative

03Where the cap kicks in
04The checks that aren't about money Do these before you decide
05What this tells you

Carry forward

This models standard Part D cost sharing and the annual out-of-pocket cap. Real plans use tiered copays that vary by drug, so treat this as a comparison of structure rather than a quote — medicare.gov/plan-compare gives exact figures once you enter your medications and pharmacy. Bring this to the October call.