Looking for a Medicare Part D drug plan that will cost you the least in 2010 and cover all or most of your prescription drugs? This guide provides a direct route to that information by taking you step by step through Medicare’s Prescription Drug Plan Finder, a useful online tool that allows you to compare many drug plans head to head to find your best deal. The plan finder does the math for you, so that you can see your likely out-of-pocket costs—premium, deductible and copays for the specific drugs you use—throughout the year.

Use this guide if:

• You’re currently enrolled in a Part D plan and want to compare it with other plan options available in 2010. (Open enrollment runs from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31, 2009.) Plans will change their costs and benefits and offer new choices for 2010, so comparing plans is essential to making the right decision for next year.

• You’re new to Medicare, so you’re considering a Part D plan for the first time and want to find the plan that’s best for you out of a large number of choices.

• You’re helping a family member or friend who is now in a Part D plan or looking to join one.

The following process for comparing drug coverage is the same for “stand-alone” plans (the kind that cover only prescription drugs and are mainly used by people enrolled in traditional Medicare), for Medicare Advantage plans (which usually cover both medical and drug benefits in one package) and for Special Needs plans (which cover only certain groups of people—those who receive Medicaid, live in nursing homes or have certain chronic illnesses). However, if you’re considering a Medicare Advantage or Special Needs plan, you need to compare those plans’ costs and benefits for medical services as well as for drug coverage. (To do that, go to “Compare Health Plans” on the homepage of the Medicare website.)

Important: Before you start, make a list of the exact names of all the prescription drugs you use, plus their dosages and how often you take them. This is an essential step for finding out how much you’ll pay out of pocket under each plan in 2010.

Print this guide so that you can use it as you go. Each step refers to each successive page you see onscreen.

1. Go to www.medicare.gov and click on Compare Drug Plans.

2. Click on Find & Compare Plans.

3. IGNORE “Begin Personalized Search.” Click on Begin General Search.

4. Enter ZIP Code. IGNORE age and health status boxes. Answer the next three questions on this page. Click on Continue. (However, if you qualify for Extra Help in paying for your drugs, click Yes and go now to the “Other Kinds of Searches” section below in this guide for special steps on how to proceed from here.)

5. On the next page (“Review Current Coverage and Consider Options”), click on Continue.

6. Click on Enter My Drugs.

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