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If you or a family member has a Medicare (Part D) Drug Plan, you stand to pay a lot more than necessary unless you check to see how your plan compares in cost to other available plans.

You must do this before December 31 or wait until next December.

Medicare maintains a website that lets you easily compare plans in terms of costs and customer satisfaction. It is completely simple. Put in all the prescription drugs you use regularly, and the site will show you the comparative cost under the available plans.

Check it out if you have or are eligible for Medicare Part D.

I saved over $400 dollars by doing this last year.

Below is what I found and told about in a post in December 2008:

Check Your Medicare Drug Plan Costs!

In 2007, I researched the costs of alternative Medicare Part D (drug coverage) plans. I found that Humana, which is somehow related to Walmart, offered by far the best deal for me. I take only one common generic drug regularly.

The Humana plan cost $15.70 per month, with $265 deductible, and 25% copay beyond that up to the "hole."

In 2008, the monthly cost went to $23.00 and the deductible to $275. I was shocked by the increase in monthly fee of nearly 50%. I thought, "This is the old lowball, and then sock- it-to-them tactic." However, I recalled that other plans I’d look at in 2007 were in the $20+ range; so I did nothing.

I just got a notice that my monthly cost for 2009 was going to $40.90! The deductible to $295. As my drug cost about $26 per month at the pharmacy, I was going to end up paying $790 for the year.

I thought, time to comparison shop again. I found shockingly different costs for Medicare approved drug plans. Annual cost to me for the plans plus out-of-pocket pharmacy costs ranged from $367 to $1672!!!

I ended up choosing one that will cost $402 using a local pharmacy or $366 if I use a mail order pharmacy, a savings of $388 to $424. The plan I chose had better customer ratings than the lowest cost plan.

Depending on your drug use, you may have chosen (if you are already enrolled) a different level of coverage, and the best plan for you will be different, but it is worth doing annual shopping.

You can change your plan once a year — and the window for changing it is open now until December 31.

Medicare maintains a website that lets you easily compare plans in terms of costs and customer satisfaction.

Check it out if you have or are eligible for Medicare Part D.

You will help others if you report back here in a comment the savings that you found by comparison shopping.