The prescription drug plan Simply Prescriptions is the only standalone Medicare Part D plan in New York state to earn the highest quality rating from the federal agency that administers the Medicare program. The plan is offered locally and throughout the state.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rated the quality of standalone Medicare Part D plans on a scale of one to five, with five stars representing the highest quality. Only Simply Prescriptions and three other standalone Medicare Part D plans nationwide earned a five-star rating for 2012.

Simply Prescriptions is a division of Excellus Health Plan, Inc., the largest nonprofit health insurer in upstate New York. The plan provides drug coverage for Medicare-eligible individuals in New York state who are eligible for Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) and/or enrolled in Medicare Part B (physician and medical coverage).

Usually, Medicare beneficiaries can only switch Part D plans during the fall open enrollment period, but eligible beneficiaries can switch to a five-star drug plan at any time during the year.

CMS rated standalone Part D plans on a variety of measures, including customer service, member complaints, responsiveness and medication adherence. The ratings were posted to the Medicare website to help beneficiaries select the best drug plan. Beneficiaries will see the star ratings when using Medicare’s Plan Finder at medicare.gov

For more information, go to simplyprescriptions.com