The State Health Insurance Program telephone numbers for Maine:
toll free number: 800–262–2232
local number: 207–287–9200

If you need to report a plan that is not following Medicare rules, you should e–mail your regional Medicare Part D Assistance Center. Be sure to include specifics about the incident, including time, date, names (if possible) and the nature of the problem.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has set up Part D Assistance Centers for problems with the new prescription drug coverage. The assistance center for Maine is at the Boston Regional Office and can be reached by email at:
BostonPartDInquiries@cms.hhs.gov.

Also available from CMS is the "Partner Center",
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/partner.asp,
which has more information about Part D problems, including "What if" scenarios.

If you are already enrolled in a Medicare drug plan and want to know if your new prescription will be covered, you can go online to see if it is included in your plan's list of covered drugs (formulary). Check the plan's web site or use Medicare's Formulary Finder:
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M714118928099374123954165

In either instance, you should double–check that this information is complete and up–to–date by calling the plans directly to verify your results. Remember, plans are not required to confirm coverage of specific medications over the phone, but they are required to confirm that the formulary information posted online is up–to–date.

Compare Medicare drug plans by using the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder
http://www.medicare.gov/MPPF/Include/DataSection/
Questions/Welcome.asp?version=default&browser=
IE%7C5%2E01%7CWin98&language=English&year=
2006&defaultstatus=1&pagelist=Home&user=
&MPDPF_zip=
This search tool allows you to find general information for those plans in your area including whether or not they should work at your pharmacy, cover your drugs and typical costs. Remember that information is limited and subject to change. Be sure to call the plan directly to verify your findings. For more guidance on how to make the most of this tool, read the Medicare Rights Center's "Tips for Using the Medicare Drug Plan Finder."(This is a PDF file)
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M714119048099374123954165

Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program
Maine toll free number: 800–262–2232
local number: 207–287–9200
for moreinformation on Medicare benefits, rights and options. Call Social Security 800-772-1213) for questions about enrolling in Medicare.

Medicare Drug Benefit: Helping or Hurting?

Medicare Rights Center is collecting stories about the new Medicare drug benefit for the Medicare Rights Center's Part D Monitoring Project. Is it working for you and your loved ones? If not, why?

Tell us about it by visiting http://www.medicarerights.org/partdstories.html