Betsy,
thank u for the detailed response. I'm lucky and have retiree private PPO insurance via Aetna but was hoping to cancel that with medicare now that I'll be 65 in 2 weeks....but as u know the good drugs needed for appropriate treatment is not covered, or not very well. I kept my Aetna policy until something does come thru...thanks and good luck to u:)

Please do not go on an Advantage plan. I have Medicare, Silverscript and Cigna. Part B medicare covers biologic infusion in a hospital type setting. My rheumatologist left her practice so infusions stopped. I had to go to my dermatologist for skin issues, she got me approved for Tremfya and patient assistance. There are strict income guidelines so in this instance I'm glad I'm poor.

I am new to Medicare this year and all of the investigation that I did said if I chose a Medicare advantage plan that I would have to pay more because every visit, every test, MRIs, everything cost money and if I started on Medicare advantage, I would probably never be able to go on a supplemental. If you have the supplemental, there is no out-of-pocket cost for any doctors visit, any test x-rays, MRIs and Biologics that are done by infusion are free because the supplemental pays the extra 20% that the part A does not cover. none of this hits your part D prescription. If someone could, please let me know how the Medicare advantage plan is better that would be helpful, some of my doctors say they won’t take it which I guess would be the first problem, but it doesn’t seem like a lot of doctors do and more are dropping out? Because I go through AARP United Healthcare, I do get a free gym membership and a few other things dental assistance, etc. but nothing that would help with prescriptions so I am stuck with the Plan D for my prescriptions. If someone could tell me this is wrong? and maybe I should take the Medicare advantage since we are an open enrollment. It would be very helpful. United Healthcare, through AARP does offer both supplemental and advantage plans. Seems odd that when you get old they make your insurance way more confusing and expensive too.??

I was a little spoiled as far as private insurance. It was through my husband's workplace, a foundation that gave very good insurance versus what was available to be as an educator which frankly sucked (and I have had experience with CHAMPUS which also sucked.
My husband's employer was a foundation which was basically self insured so if the insurance didn't cover they did. When he retired, they covered through the end of year and then he went on Medicare; I was fortunate to have foundation give cobra type coverage for 1 year until I reached Medicare age. So it covered my Enbrel then Cosentyx (or I should say because I was on private insurance I qualified for discount from pharma companies. If you are on any government funded medical care, you will not qualiffy (VA, CHAMPUS, MEDICARE).
I was able to qualify for patient assistance through Novartis for COSENTYX until this year (jointly we made too much $$ )
I had forgotten the assistance by pharm companies and their disclusion of federal programs.

I know after a lot of yelling cying and just nonstop questions to my insurance and pharmacy companies: Medicare Advantage is often a disadvantage is psoriasis is your major medical problem. IF you have RA, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure you will get additional benefits as well as funding for biologics that treat those conditions to include some that treat PsA; my insurance company took 6 months to tell me they don't know why RA is covered and PsA is not. Insurance companies have another tier: fiscally not responsible for housing, utilities, food, insurance (this made me mad as I realized my insurance was paying for someone else (who didn't pay bills). Anthem also took their sweet time to tell me I or my doctor could ask for an exception to medication (in this case it WAS Cosentyx) so I was without anything for 3 months (arthritis was worse but plaques were under control). My doctors got involved and pushed very expensive med ORENCIA thru Part B (4 infusions and $2500 out of pocket, I had increased PsA, severe flare of plaque and inverse psoriasis.
I was given 2 choices to be paid for by insurance (one was in trial for PsA, the other hit same markers as Cosentyx so I chose TALZ at cost of $700/injector pen with 12-week starter dose; 2 months later and $2800+ poorer thru Part D out of pocket, I am hopeful as plaques have cleared and joints are better.
Question your insurance company carefully. Do you qualify for photo theraphy, physical therapy, acupressure/puncture, massage, chiropractic? Ask why or why not.
Ask insurance company would it be better if on regular Medicare A & B with separate drug policy, cost of those, coverage of any medications you take. Ask doctor to explore all options and (no brainer) prescribe medication that doesn't severely react to current medications.
Taking TALZ, I had to quit using prescription topical and have turned to herbal salves (source-Green Goo); Manuka, Peppermint, Copaiba essential oils (source-Young Living); Arnica gel or salve (sources-Boiron and Green Goo), & purchased/but not tried Manuka Honey creams (source-Amazon)