California Medicare Options  -  Why is Wellcare Part D so popular?

Why is Wellcare Part D so Popular in California?

There's a definite stand out when we run countless Part D quotes for people in California.

Wellcare is constantly priced best for many such quotes regardless of the medications and pharmacy!

Now everyone's situation will be different but what gives with this and more importantly, why is Wellcare so popular?

We'll look at the whole "placeholder" strategy to avoid the penalty for not getting Part D when eligible but it goes beyond that.

The total expected cost can also be much lower with Wellcare!

First, our credentials:

 

 

Let's look at the following:

• Intro to Wellcare's Part D plan offering
  
• Using Wellcare Part D for placeholder plan
  
• Looking at the total expected cost with Wellcare's Part D
  
• How to quote and enroll in Wellcare's Part D

Let's get started!

Intro to Wellcare's Part D plan offering

First, Wellcare is the Part D segment of Health Net's product offering.  Health Net has a long track record in California across multiple segments from Covered CA to Small Business and of course, Medicare.

Looking at a sample quote, we see 3 different plans:

 

 

Check out our How to save on Part D review but we see some basic details.

• 2 plans have the standard deductible (2023) of $505; the 3rd has no deductible
  
• They all have 3 star for the rating

It's the premium difference that really stands out:

• $8.30 for the Value Script plan
  
• $29 for the Classic plan
  
• $71.30 for the RX Value plan

Consistently, the first one, Wellcare's Value Script is generally priced best when we run quotes.

This makes sense if we have no medications since it usually has the lowest monthly premium.

Usually, Wellcare's Value Script competes with Aetna's Silver Script plan for the lowest-priced plan.

So...let's look at two situations that speak to Wellcare's popularity in the Part D market.

Using Wellcare Part D for placeholder plan

There's a penalty for not enrolling in Part D when eligible.  It's pretty nasty.

1% each month that you do not enroll in Part D once eligible.

This just keeps growing so 12 months will be 12% higher when you do enroll.

That gets nasty fast.

Many people will reach out to us with...

"I'm healthy...I have no medications".

Fine.  But at least get a "placeholder" plan so you don't have the penalty and at least have some coverage in case you have big RX bills in the future.

That's the point of insurance anyway!

We can change Part D plans at the end of each year regardless of health during Open enrollment anyway!

The Wellcare Value Script plan fits this strategy nicely!

You can quote your Part D plans including Wellcare here:

So that's the lowest cost approach...what about if we DO have medications?

Looking at the total expected cost with Wellcare's Part D

We'll typically run Part D quotes with a range of different medications.

There's a standard list that everyone seems to be on:

• A statin
  
• A blood pressure med (or 2)
  
• An SSRI
  
• A heart med (the metoprolol's of the world)

Throw in one other to hit the "5 by 50".

What's interesting is that even with multiple medications, the Wellcare Value Script plan can still price best for the category that really matters.

If you read our How to Save on Part D, you know that monthly premium doesn't really matter.

It's total expected cost for the year that we want to focus on

This is your monthly premium PLUS expected out of pocket costs (usually copays) for the medications you listed in the system.

 

When you run your quote above, toggle the sort option to "Total Estimated Cost"

 

 

 

If we have meds, this total number takes that into account plus the chosen pharmacy we like to use.

It's where the rubber meets the road when comparing Part D (plus the Star Rating).

So...Wellcare's Value Script premium is generally the lowest premium (under $10) but clearly it's covering actual medication costs pretty well because the total cost can be $100's lower versus the next plan up.

This may depend on the medications you have.

For example, generics are probably going to be covered pretty well across the different Part D plans.

If you have more expensive brand medications, you may start to see a difference but again, we run quotes all the time and Wellcare's Value Script still comes out strong with a list of medications.

Usually, the only reason someone goes with a more expensive plan (like Aetna's Silver Scripts) is because it might have a higher Star Rating.

That is a consideration but our quote system will show you how much more you can expect to pay in a year's time to have that ½ a star!

It really is specific to the person so it's key to run your quote!

How to quote and enroll in Wellcare's Part D

We make this easy, free, and fast.

Run your Part D quote here including Wellcare alongside other strong carriers:

Make sure to enter your medications and chosen pharmacy.

This is so important as the quote system will take this information into account when generating your expected annual cost!

That's the most important number to focus on and this is why Wellcare is so competitive for many Californians.

One interesting note...you can play with local pharmacies in your selection to see if it affects pricing.

 

It's fascinating how much difference there can be in cost between very big pharmacies in the same area!

 

Our tool will even show you ways to save on your existing medications!

That's like throwing money away even if you have a Part D plan.

You can play with your preferences via this panel in the quote system:

Of course, we're here to help!  You can email us at help@calhealth.net  or chat with us and even set up an appointment to chat by phone.

We're happy to help!