Medicare creates online tool for rating drug benefit plans

With today's launch of the six-week open enrollment period for Medicare's drug benefit, the federal government has launched a Web-based rating system to help people better compare the different plans. (Source: "Medicare Offers Online Tool to Rate Drug Plans," Wall Street Journal, Nov. 15, 2007.) The system, located under "search tools" at www.medicare.gov, allows people to "enter their drug list and see how each plan charges them for monthly premiums, co-payments and deductibles. It also will show how stand-alone plans fare in a number of areas, such as customer service; how easily prescriptions are filled; and how often drug prices are changed."