Does supplemental insurance pay toward drugs?

Hugemom, I am moving your post back to the front page to see if anyone can help you with this.

No, Medicare supplements don't cover drugs. However, if you qualify, you can get Eliquis for $10/month. https://www.eliquis.com/eliquis/hcp/patient-offers-resources?TC=2027748&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=eliquishcp_enhanced_branded_trtmnt_bmm&utm_term=eliquisdiscountcard&utm_content=branded_trtmnt_general_savings_bmm

Eliquis is one of the Tier 4 medications, meaning the copay is high (as you know). Each insurance company and policy will have its own rules about how much it will cover. It may be that if you take a supplemental policy at this time that it could cost as much as the medication and you might still have money to pay, so decide carefully. Many people opt to stay on Coumadin because of the cost of the designer blood thinners like Eliquis. Coumadin is more inconvenient choice because of the blood testing, and has a higher bleeding risk, but fits their budget better.

It would be nice to be rich and not worry about these high copays! Eliquis is a very good medication from what I've heard, but the price is out of reach of many. If I were taking a supplemental policy for Eliquis I would ask the company how much it would cover on the drug before I would commit to the policy. That would prevent future surprises.

Ooo I'm all excited!

Determined to make a further effort, if only for fellowship, to get my head around all this, I went to Medicare's own site. And one thing they *do* have that even I could understand is:

"Medicare Plan Finder for Health, Prescription Drug and Medigap Plans."

Which you put your details into, and then it tells you which plans you can buy that will cover what you need covered. You can find it by clicking on the "What Medicare Covers" tab, which then has a further link to this search page.

I can't test it myself because you need at least a zip code, and you also have the option to do a personalised search based on your Medicare Number (but you don't have to give them that if you're not happy to); but I hope it will help you find the right coverage.

BTW, look around on the internet and you may find ways to make the medication more affordable. Some pharmacies have programs that help with the costs. I know that Walgreen's has a program you can join to help with costs, but I don't know if it would work with Medicare or an Advantage plan. You can add on Part D of Medicare or switch to an Advantage plan during the annual enrollment period this fall. I hope you'll be able to find what is most helpful to you.