How to use Medicare Plan Finder and when to get a local SHINE counselor

LaPrade described the Medicare.gov Plan Finder as a key tool for comparing drug-plan costs and said SHINE counselors use it during appointments to project annual costs across pharmacies and mail-order options.

"If you log into that and you set up an account and you log into it, you can put in your list of prescriptions," he said, adding that the tool shows premiums, deductibles and per-prescription copays and lets users enter multiple pharmacies for side-by-side comparisons. He advised entering monthly quantities rather than 90-day supplies when comparing plans to get the best price estimates.

LaPrade said the Plan Finder can also show restrictions such as step therapy and quantity limits listed at the bottom of a plan’s formulary; SHINE counselors help clients interpret those restrictions and determine whether a plan will count prescriptions toward the annual out-of-pocket maximum.