On October 4, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released a brief examining options, premium, and plan characteristic trends among stand alone Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Part D) plans.  KFF found that the number of available plans will decrease by 30 percent in 2011; however, the authors note that beneficiaries will still have an average of 33 plans available to them. 

 

From the report:

 

In 2011, the average Medicare beneficiary will have a choice of 33 stand-alone PDPs, even though fewer Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans will be offered nationwide than in any year since the Medicare drug benefit was implemented in 2006. Average premiums are expected to increase by 10 percent from 2010 to 2011, but year-to-year changes will vary widely across plans. In 2011, beneficiaries receiving low-income subsidies will have access to a larger number of plans available to them for no monthly premium. The majority of plans offered in 2011 will offer no gap coverage beyond that which is required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which phases out the coverage gap by 2020.

Full Article: Part D Plan Availability in 2011 and Key Changes Since 2006 (PDF | 478 KB)    

Kaiser Family Foundation. (2010). Part D plan availability in 2011 and key changes since 2006. Hoadley, J., Cubanski, J., Hargave, E., Summer, L., Neuman, T.