The SHIP person at our Senior Center ran the Medicare.gov 2012 Part D plan comparison for my DH. I have run the same thing at home. According to the Medicare comparison chart the cheapest Plan D for DH is a BC-BS Value plan. It states the premium is $456/yr. It says he'll pay $2856.90 for his two meds ($2542.98 mail order).

I called BC-BS to verify this. I called twice. They refuse to estimate the annual cost of DH's meds on their plan. I called Medicare. They said the company MUST do this. Well...they WON'T. All they will say is that the initial copay for each Tier 2 medicine is $41. They refuse to *estimate* his costs when he's in the Gap. Gap coverage should cost 50% of retail -- but they won't say what retail IS. "We'll only know that after his first prescriptions are filled in January." WHA? How does that help anyone enroll NOW, and where did the 'unknowable' data come from that's on the Medicare website? I can't glean anything from the BC-BS website either since DH does not have their policy in 2011.

I called DH's 2011 Part D insurer, UnitedHealthCare. The representative told me the premium will not be $34.20/month, as stated in the Medicare handbook and on the Medicare Plan D comparison website. She says it will be $42/month. She also gave me completely different drug costs. I asked for a supervisor. None available.

I don't see how I can complain -- or where TO complain. (That's why I'm posting here.)