1. The New Medicare Plan Finder
Presented by
Ginger Rogers, Disability Rights Wisconsin
Debbie Bisswurm, Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Inc.
Fall Medicare Training for Wisconsin Professionals
October 2019
Good Morning and welcome to our session on the NEW Medicare Plan Finder.

2. New Medicare Plan Finder
Agenda
Using MyMedicare Accounts
NEW Plan Finder Overview
--Break--
Scenarios
Questions
There has been a LOT of anticipation over the last months about how the NEW Plan Finder will work. And now that we have had the opportunity to take a look at the new Plan Finder—it is clear that it is a more modern looking tool that will be more Consumer Friendly.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided in-depth training webinars in August and September on the NEW PF. Hopefully many of you were able to listen to those webinars. We will show you how you can access the webinar recording and PowerPoint slides a little later in this session. And since CMS has already done those trainings, our session today is not intended to duplicate that information but rather to provide an overview of the new Plan Finder—including information about using MyMedicare accounts, and then after the overview we’ll have a break and when we come back Ginger will do a live demonstrations of a scenario on the New Plan Finder. And then we’ll open it up for questions.

3. Using MyMedicare Accounts
For Personalized Search on NEW Plan Finder—Use MyMedicare Account
Only way to save a drug list that you create is to login to the MyMedicare Account.
If you enter info using an anonymous search, you can still enroll in a plan using the Plan Finder, but you cannot save the information you entered.
One of the first things you may have heard about the NEW Plan Finder is that the old Drug List IDs and Password dates are no longer used. That is correct. Starting October 1st, the Legacy (old) plan finder is no longer available and those drug list ids and passwords are no longer effective.
With the NEW Plan Finder, you can still do either an anonymous search or a personalized search. For a personalized search, you login to the MyMedicare Account. If you enter information using an anonymous search, you can still enroll in a plan using the Plan Finder, but you cannot save the information you entered. The only way to save the information you enter—is if you are logged into the MyMedicare Account.

4. Using a MyMedicare Account
Beneficiaries can create account with a few simple steps.
Go to and it will open with the screenshot on the next slide.
Or you can find the login link in the upper right corner of the home page at
So let’s take a quick look at what’s involved with a MyMedicare account. People with Medicare may want to create a MyMedicare account in order to have a personalized plan finder experience. Because this will help them to:
Build a better drug list—based on claims information about their prescriptions that were filled in the last 12 months.
And they can modify the list and save changes
They can compare the benefits and costs in their current plan to other plans available in their area
And they can see the prices based on any help they might get with drug cost—since it would include any low-income subsidy information--if they have Extra Help for example.
Keep in mind—the MyMedicare Account is NOT JUST a way to do a personalized PF search. It is a way for a beneficiary to view their claims and manage all their Medicare information.
To create an account, they can start by going directly to MyMedicare.gov and it will open with a screenshot I’ll show on the next slide. Or they can access it from the link in the upper right corner of the home page for Medicare.gov.

5. Creating a MyMedicare Account
Click “Create Account”
There really are just a few simple steps to create an account. And the instructions are very easy to follow, but I’ll quickly walk you through the steps here today.
To begin, click “create account”.

6. Enter Information Enter the information requested.
The beneficiary can enter their information—including their Medicare number and last name. The have the option to enter an address, but it is not required. We know there are plenty of beneficiaries who do not have an account. Or simply might not want to enter their address. If they do not enter an , they simply check: I don’t have an address.
address is optional. Check this box if not entering .

7. Enter Information Check both boxes. Click Next when complete.
Then they’ll scroll down—and this is all on the same page online, but I separated it onto two slides so you could see it better. They can continue to enter their information, click the two boxes (confirming the information and agreeing to the website rules) and then click Next.
Click Next when complete.

8. When the Security Notice pops up on the screen
click “OK” to continue.
Click OK to the security notice to continue.

9. They will be asked to create a Username and Password.
Rules for Creating Username and Password
Pick a Username—must be unique
8 – 30 characters long, no spaces
Can include letters, numbers and special characters including: @ ! _ $
Don’t use special characters as the first or last character of your username
It must include at least 4 letters
Can use your address
Cannot contain your Medicare or Social Security number
Next create your Password
8 – 16 characters long
Must contain at least one letter and one number
Must also contain at least one of the following special characters: @ ! $ % “ * ( )
Cannot contain your username and cannot contain your Medicare number or Social Security number
And then the beneficiary will be asked to create a Username and Password. Instructions for creating a username and password will pop up when they click the boxes—I am including the instructions here. (Its pretty clear and straightforward—and since there are only a few steps to setting this up—what may take the most time is just deciding on a username and password.)

10. Final Step! Then Click “Continue”
Enter Username following the rules provided.
Select a secret question and enter your answer. This would be used if you forget your login information.
The beneficiary then can enter their username, then selects a secret question—which is used if they forget their login information. (Some examples of questions they can select: “What is your mother’s maiden name?” or “In what city did you first meet your spouse?”) It will be important for them to remember what their answer to this question is. They enter their answer. Then enter the password they created following the rules provided.
Next, enter Password following the rules provided.
Then Click “Continue”

11. MyMedicare Account That’s it!
You will be taken back to the login page where you’ll see a message that your account has been created and you can now login.
And that’s it! The beneficiary is taken back to the login page. They’ll see a message on the screen that their account has been created and they will receive a confirmation letter in the mail within days. But they don’t have to wait for that letter. They can login right away to start using the Plan Finder.

12. MyMedicare Account Remember:
A beneficiary’s MyMedicare login information is sensitive personal information.
Follow your agency’s policies or practices to ensure that personal information is kept safe and secure, is used appropriately and only for the purpose that it was offered and intended.
Beneficiaries can use their MyMedicare login throughout the year—and should keep it safe and guarded.
A few important things to remember: A beneficiary’s MyMedicare login information—their username and password—is sensitive personal information. Professionals and agencies should be thoughtful about their use of this information. You should follow your agency’s policies or practices to ensure that personal information is kept safe and secure, is used appropriately and only for the purpose that it was offered and intended. Some of you are benefit specialists—who are SHIP counselors—and you have received guidance from your supervising attorneys on this.
It is also important to note that the MyMedicare login information is something that is useful to beneficiaries—not only for a Plan Finder search—but can be used throughout the year to look at claims information and other information—so it is something that the beneficiary should hold onto and keep safe and guarded as they would with other confidential information!

13. Forgotten Username or Password?
MyMedicare Account
Forgotten Username or Password?
Login credentials can be retrieved.
And what if someone has forgotten their login credentials? IF a beneficiary does not remember their username or password but wants to do a personalized search, they can click where the red arrow is pointing “trouble signing in?” and it will walk them through the steps to retrieve that information.

14. MyMedicare Account
So whether they have forgotten their username, their password, or both—there are steps to take care of that situation. They can also verify if they have an account set up at all. They simply click on what they are having trouble with, and then they will be walked through the steps to retrieving the information.

15. MyMedicare Account Information Needed to Retrieve Login Credentials:
Medicare Number
Last Name
Date of Birth
Secret Question and Answer
In terms of the information needed—if they have forgotten their username, their password, or both—they will need to have their Medicare Number, last name and date of birth. IF they have forgotten their password or both their username and password, they will also be reminded of their secret question and will need to enter their answer. They can also use the Medicare number, last name and date of birth to verify if they have an account set up at all.
IF a person resets their password, they can use the new password immediately.
Please be aware: CMS has informed us that if a beneficiary enters the wrong answer—multiple times—to their secret question their account will be locked. In that situation they are advised to call Medicare.

16. MyMedicare Account Materials to Educate Consumers
CMS Create a MyMedicare Account
Create a MyMedicare Account with Drug List
Create a MyMedicare Account PowerPoint
Resources available at:
Materials are available to educate consumers about how to create a MyMedicare Account. You may want to share these with the people you have worked with in the past and in your outreach as well.

17. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
New Look to Medicare.gov Home Page!
Access the New Plan Finder Here.
Let’s take a look now at the New Plan Finder. I know many of you have already been using it and most of you have viewed the CMS training webinars. I’m going to do a quick walk-through of the site and again—Ginger will get into more details with scenarios after the break. You probably noticed the new look to the Medicare Home Page. During the past month, the page looked like the screenshot you see here, and you were able to use the new plan finder or the “legacy” plan finder. As of today, the legacy or old plan finder is no longer available.

18. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Option for personal search with beneficiary’s MyMedicare login information OR
Anonymous Search
This is the landing page for the NEW Medicare Plan Finder. Beneficiaries have a choice here to login to do a personalized search, or they can do an anonymous search by clicking “continue without logging in”.

19. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Enter MyMedicare login information if doing a personalized search.
Again, to do a personalized search, you will login using the beneficiary’s username and password.

20. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
If you are logged in with a MyMedicare account current coverage will be displayed.
Subsidy information.
Once you are logged in, you will be asked to answer a few quick questions. The beneficiary’s current coverage will be displayed—as well as any subsidy information.
I also want to point out the option to have the plan finder displayed in Spanish—you’ll see that option in the upper right corner of the screen. And you can click on that at any point in the Plan Finder to have information displayed that way.

21. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
When you are logged in:
Available data will be pulled into the form from the MyMedicare Account.
You will then need to verify (and edit as needed) the prescription medication list.
This information will be automatically saved when you are logged in.
Then, information will be pulled from the MyMedicare account.
You will see a drug list that was created from the beneficiary’s prescription drug claims from the past 12 months. You will then be able to verify or edit the list. And this information will be saved when you are logged in.

22. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
For an anonymous search:
You will first need to enter the information requested.
Then you can enter the prescription drugs.
This information will not be saved. If you do a plan finder search later, you will need to re-enter the prescription drugs.
If you do an anonymous search, you will need to enter the information that is requested, including their prescription drugs as I’ll show you on the next few slides. Reminder that this information will NOT be saved. If you do a plan finder search later, you will need to re-enter all the prescription drugs and other information.

23. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Anonymous Search
To do a Plan Finder search, select View Plans.
Select the type of coverage.
This is the first screen you see when doing an anonymous search. To do a plan finder search, click view plans.
When selecting type of Medicare Coverage—NOTE: The plan finder cannot be used to compare Medigap policies. If you click Medigap it will give some general information including plans available in the zip code area, and you can access the plan’s phone number and website.
When you enter the zip code, the county will pop up and you click on that.
Then enter zip code and select the county when it pops up.

24. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Click yes to the question.
Outside of open enrollment this message will appear.
Subsidy information should be entered as well.
Next you are asked if the person has a Medicare number. Simply click yes. You do not need to enter the Medicare number for an anonymous search, but there is a reminder that they would need the Medicare number later if you are enrolling in the plan using the plan finder.
You can check any subsidy information that applies.

25. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Click “Yes”
Answer the next question.
Click yes to the question about drug costs.
Indicate whether the prescriptions are filled through retail pharmacy or mail order or both.

26. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Begin typing in your prescription drug and select from list. Then click Add Drug.
Next, enter the dosage, quantity and frequency information.
Then click Add to My Drug List.
Then the next step will be adding the prescription drug information.

27. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Continue adding prescriptions (or verify list if using a MyMedicare Account) until all your medications are entered.
Then click
Done Adding Drugs
When you are finished adding all the prescriptions, click Done Adding Drugs.

28. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
Select the pharmacy you use and an alternate.
10 pharmacies are displayed in or near the zip code indicated. Select the pharmacy preference and an alternate, then click Done.
(Can only select 2 pharmacies)

29. Here is the Results page for the example I used
Here is the Results page for the example I used. Note that the results are automatically sorted from Lowest monthly premium. You can also sort from lowest deductible and lowest yearly drug costs. CMS has indicated they will be adding the option to sort by the Lowest Estimated Total Out of Pocket Cost—which would include the total drug costs, premium and deductible for the year. This information will be in place for the start of OEP.

30. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
When you are on the plan’s details page, you will be able to view drug cost information during the different coverage phases.
I want to point out that what has been called “catastrophic coverage” is now referred to in the NEW PF as “cost after coverage gap”.
The legacy (old) plan finder included a bar graph, and while the new plan finder does not have that right now, CMS has indicated that they will have something similar to that to illustrate drug costs—by OEP—so stay tuned for that.

31. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
And as you continue to scroll down on the details page, you will get to the sections that shows any drug restrictions. If a drug has a restriction, such as the quantity limits you see here, the beneficiary will need to contact the plan for specific information.

32. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
And if you scroll down further, you’ll see the drug list. You do not need to back all the way out to edit the list. You can simply click the edit button—make any necessary changes and save the information.

33. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
And near the bottom of the details page, you’ll find the star ratings—when that information is available, and the plan’s contact information.

34. Medicare Plan Finder—Overview
A few more NEW Plan Finder items:
CMS reports they can easily make changes/updates to NEW Plan Finder.
Timing out for website users should not be an issue.
CMS working to improve the quality of the printouts
CMS has stated No test / dummy scenarios available before OEP.
There are just a few more things I’d like to share about the NEW plan finder.
CMS has the ability to quickly make changes to this plan finder, without any downtime. Changes would take effect immediately—or as soon as you refresh your screen.
In the past there were issues with the website “timing out”. With the new plan finder—it would take a long time to time out, so that should not be a problem.
CMS is also working to improve the quality of the printouts—some users have reported formatting issues--some browsers work better than others—so again that is something CMS is working to improve.
CMS has said there will NOT be any test / training / dummy scenarios available before OEP.
Remember—there are materials available to help you –along with all of the FALL Medicare Training materials in the Open Enrollment Toolkit on the GWAAR website at the link Phoebe shared with you all.

35. Medicare Plan Finder
Break

36. Medicare Plan Finder Scenario
Drug List
Humalog
Albuterol
Enbrel
Gabapentin
Januvia
Neurontin
Atorvastatin
Lisinopril

37. Questions?