Part D Begins, But Not of Interest to Most Federal Retirees

Through May 15, Medicare is conducting an open enrollment period for its new prescription drug benefit, called Part D. Enrollment is only voluntary, however, and there generally is little reason for anyone enrolled in both Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits program-the large majority of federal retirees-to take out Medicare coverage. That’s because taking Part D would amount to paying twice for prescription drug benefits already paid by FEHB; in addition, with its monthly premiums averaging about $32, deductibles and restrictions on which drugs are covered, the Medicare drug benefit typically is inferior to what is available through FEHB carriers. While some experts have advised federal retirees to at least familiarize themselves with Part D, others have said that there is no point in even that.