Today, those living with HIV are leading long, full lives. In fact, by 2015 more than half of all people living with HIV in the U.S. will be over 50. The key to living well is being proactive about your health through regular doctor visits, taking medications as prescribed, and ensuring you have healthcare coverage that best fits your unique health, financial, and lifestyle needs. But choosing a prescription drug plan can be confusing, especially for aging adults with HIV. In addition to managing HIV treatment, many may also face the need to treat other chronic conditions commonly associated with aging such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. With the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period coming to a close on Sunday, Dec. 7, we asked an HIV-trained pharmacist, Mallory Schmoll, to answer reader questions to help ensure you know what resources are available as you make your elections and continue treatment.
Schmoll isn't just a pharmacist though. A market HIV specialist at Walgreens in Louisville, Ky. and certified through the American Academy of HIV Medicine as an HIV pharmacist, she's also the vice president of the Kentuckiana AIDS Alliance and a board member of the Kentucky HIV/AIDS Planning and Advisory Council. We asked Schmoll, who has a doctor of pharmacy from Purdue University and completed a two-month HIV specialty rotation in Kenya, to lay out the facts and offer help that's as close as your local pharmacy.
I'm eligible for Medicare but don’t understand my coverage options. How can a pharmacist help me?
Understanding coverage options can be daunting. First, it’s important to know that Medicare plans specific to prescription drug coverage are offered through Medicare Part D. Each Part D plan has a list of medications covered and many place these medications into "tiers" with different costs. Also, many Part D plans offer preferred pharmacy networks that may result in significant cost savings on some of your prescriptions when you select a pharmacy in a plan’s preferred network. Your pharmacist can help you navigate your options.
If you bring a list of your current medications to your pharmacy, your pharmacist can help you compare available Part D plans based on your specific medication, budget, and lifestyle needs. My company, Walgreens, offers free, personalized plan comparison reports in its HIV-specialized and retail pharmacies nationwide. This report will help you understand your prescription coverage options by comparing plans’ coverage, in-network pharmacies and estimated annual costs, including monthly premiums, deductibles and co-pays for brand and generic drugs. Walgreens plan comparison reports are also available online at walgreens.com/medicare.
I have prescriptions from four different doctors. How can pharmacists help me keep them straight?
It’s important that you fill all of your prescriptions at one pharmacy. With all your prescriptions in one place, your pharmacist can act as an extension of your care team, communicating with doctors about potential drug interactions to help ensure treatment plans are safe. Also, with a view of all medication therapies, your pharmacist can help you take medications as prescribed, which is the key to improving health. HIV-trained pharmacists work with patients to eliminate barriers to medication adherence and help make sure treatment plans easily fit your lifestyle. This may mean calling you a week into a new therapy to discuss any side effects and following up three weeks later or helping you find financial assistance to cover some HIV-related medications.
Can a pharmacist help me figure out how to save money on my prescriptions?
Financial assistance counseling is a core training component for Walgreens HIV-trained pharmacists. In addition to offering plan comparison reports during the Medicare annual enrollment period, we consistently work with our patients to make sure they understand all options that may help their budget needs. We also work with manufacturers who offer co-pay assistance, which can lower out-of-pocket costs for some HIV-related prescription, and with local and state resources that provide financial assistance to those who qualify. For example, we may connect a patient to a local AIDS service organization that can provide assistance to those who need help managing their health care costs.
What happens if I miss the Medicare Annual Election Period?
Generally all elections should be made by Sunday, Dec. 7. After the Annual Election Period closes, Medicare offers select individuals the opportunity to participate in a special enrollment period. For more information vist Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Mallory Schmoll is a market HIV specialist at Walgreens in Louisville, Ky. She is certified through the American Academy of HIV Medicine as an HIV pharmacist. In the community, she provides regular in-services to medical case managers at Volunteers of America and works with their prevention outreach specialists who offer free HIV testing at two Walgreens stores. She currently serves as vice president of the Kentuckiana AIDS Alliance and is a board member of the Kentucky HIV/AIDS Planning and Advisory Council. She received a doctor of pharmacy from Purdue University and completed a two-month HIV specialty rotation in Kenya. Find out more about Walgreens HIV-specialized pharmacies here at HIV.Walgreens.com.
