2.65 million Medicare recipients saved > $1.5 billion on their prescriptions in 2011; premiums held

[Bill USA]

...about the same.

Also, 24 million people (about half of those with traditional Medicare) have gone in for a free a annual physical or other screening exam.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-12-05/Medicare-prescription-drugs-health-care-law/51663580/1">Health Care Law Changing Behavior - USA Today


More than 2.65 million Medicare recipients have saved more than $1.5 billion on their prescriptions this year, a $569-per-person average, while premiums have remained stable, the government plans to announce today.

That's because of the provision of the health care law that put a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the "doughnut hole," the gap between traditional and catastrophic coverage in the drug benefit, also known as Part D.

And, as of the end of November, more than 24 million people, or about half of those with traditional Medicare, have gone in for a free annual physical or other screening exam since the rules changed this year because of the health care law.

"We're very pleased with the numbers," Jonathan Blum, director of the Center for Medicare, told USA TODAY. "We found the Part D premiums have also stayed constant, despite predictions that they would go up in 2012."
(more)

[libinnyandia]

1. And yet the Republicans will try to scare senior citizens that the

Democrats are out to "get them" and a lot of seniors will believe them. Death panels, death panels!

[cilla4progress]

2. It makes you understand how facism can take hold,

doesn't it?

[ThomCat]

3. This isn't a win, people.

You go into that "doughnut hole," that gap, in which they cut off coverage for meds.

Then they tell you that if you really, absolutely still need those meds they'll generously offer you a discount if you go out and pay for them yourself at the full price without the insurance company's discounted price.

So the pharmacy says that your med has a "normal price" of $1600, and that means you can get it for $800 this month. You only have to go without food this month to buy that med. Isn't that wonderful?

Meanwhile, the pharmacies, because of their purchasing power, have a bulk rate discount that means they only pay $50 for that same med. That $1600 price is an artificially inflated price for suckers who don't have insurance. When you're in the gap you're being given a discount on an artificially inflated price.

The solution isn't to crow about a discount that doesn't mean squat. The solution is to get rid of the gap. Republicans and so-called moderate democrats installed this gap purely to be punitive against poor seniors and people with disabilities who they see as being greedy for using "unnecessary" health care. They really think we should make "wiser choices" to do without health care in order to save money.

Simply close that gap! That will save far more money!