What does a Medicare drug formulary with tiers mean?

Every Part D plan has something called a formulary, which is a list of drugs covered under the plan. Each formulary has a set of tiers, and in most cases, Part D plans have between three and six tiers. A lower-tier drug usually has lower copays or coinsurance than a drug in a higher tier. […]
If I sign up for Part D during Medicare enrollment, how soon does the coverage start to take effect?

When you sign up for a Part D plan, the date the coverage becomes effective depends on which enrollment period you used to sign up for your Part D plan. – If you sign up for a Part D plan during the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs from October 15th through December 7th, your coverage […]