CUELLAR Announces 193,301 TEXANS Have Now Received the ‘Donut Hole’Checks
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jan 30, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Lesley Lopez,
Prescription Drug Cost Relief As A Result of Health Reform
WASHINGTON , D.C. – Today, Congressman Cuellar announced that, to date, more than 3 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries have received ‘donut hole’ checks to begin to close their prescription drug coverage gap. A total of 193,301 seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries in Texas have received a ‘donut hole’ check so far.
Under the Affordable Care Act, seniors whose prescription drug costs were so high that they fell in the Medicare prescription drug ‘donut hole’ coverage gap in 2010 are receiving this one-time tax-free $250 rebate check—and the ‘donut hole’ will be completely closed by 2020.
“Prescription drugs cost many seniors thousands of dollars a year and this check is a down payment that will help seniors who fall into the donut hole, which will eventually be closed altogether,” Congressman Cuellar said.
These $250 checks will continue to be mailed out over the next several weeks – for those who fell into the ‘donut hole’ late in 2010.
The $250 checks were just the first of the benefits for seniors under the new health law – with many additional benefits having now taken effect on January 1. On January 19, a vote to repeal all of the patient protections and benefits that Congress enacted last year passed in the House. This repeal, if it were to be successful, would deny seniors all of these new benefits that are currently being implemented.
“I am confident that Senate Democrats and President Obama will block this repeal effort from ever taking effect. It is too vital that America’s seniors receive these critical benefits. The $250 checks have been great news for many seniors, and now, beginning on January 1, seniors in the ‘donut hole’ are obtaining even greater savings on their prescription drugs with the new 50% discount on brand-name drugs,” said Congressman Cuellar.
First of all, the ‘donut hole’ checks are just the first step under reform to reduce prescription drug costs for seniors. Beginning on January 1, 2011, seniors who fall into the donut hole are now receiving a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs while in the donut hole. This discount gets larger over time until the ‘donut hole’ coverage gap is completely eliminated by 2020.
In addition to savings on prescription drugs, the health reform law provides new benefits to seniors when they visit their doctor starting this year:
- As of January 1, 2011, traditional Medicare no longer charges out-of-pocket costs for the “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam and, for the first time since the Medicare program was created in 1965, traditional Medicare now covers an annual wellness visit with a participating doctor, also at no cost.
- In addition to these annual wellness visits, seniors can now receive critical preventive services, including certain cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies, for free.
- Also as of January 1, 2011, the Affordable Care Act will provide qualifying doctors and other health care professionals providing primary care to people on Medicare a 10-percent bonus for primary care services. This will help ensure that those primary care providers can continue to be there for Medicare patients.
Under the new law, other benefits for seniors include:
- Strengthens Medicare by extending its solvency by an additional 12 years, from 2017 to 2029.
- Includes Medicare efficiencies, so that experts estimate that the average savings for those enrolled in traditional Medicare will amount to more than $3,500 over the next 10 years.
- Continues to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare.
- Improves care by helping doctors communicate and coordinate.
- Expands home and community-based services to keep seniors in their home, instead of in nursing homes.
