Improving Medicare
Closing the Medicare
prescription drug
doughnut hole
BY RON POLLACK
I
Ron Pollack
is the executive
director of
Families USA
and a proud
granddad.
t seems like a bad
dream: Your prescription
drug coverage
stops just
when you need it
the most. But sadly,
it’s been a reality
for millions of
people with Medicare. When
the Medicare prescription drug
program (Part D) was created
in 2003, it included a large gap
in coverage that’s known as the
“doughnut hole.” After beneficiaries
reached an initial limit
of total drug expenses ($2,840
in 2011), they had no prescription
drug coverage until they
got to the other side of the
doughnut hole—by spending
$3,600 more out of their own
pockets—and reached the catastrophic
limit for the year. Many
24 GRAND MAY JUNE 2011
had to choose between buying
their medications and buying
groceries.
But things are getting better.
Under the Affordable Care
Act the nearly 4 million Medicare
beneficiaries who fell into
the doughnut hole in 2010
each received a $250 check
to help with the cost of their
Good news you can use
• “Medicare’s New Preventive Care
• “Medicare’s New Wellness Visit:
• “Help Is on the Way: 12 Reason
http://www.familiesusa2.org/assets/pdfs/health-reform/Consumer-Guide-Medicare-Preventive-Care-Benefit.pdfhttp://www.familiesusa.org/http://www.familiesusa2.org/assets/pdfs/health-reform/Consumer-Guide-Medicare-Wellness-Visit.pdfhttp://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/health-reform/12-reasons-to-support-reform.pdf
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - May/June 2011