According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, more seniors and disabled Americans on Medicare are experiencing lower costs through discounts on brand-name drugs in the Medicare Part D coverage gap as well as free preventive care.
"Today's news confirms that the Affordable Care Act is saving money for millions of seniors and people with disabilities who are enrolled in Medicare," says CMS Administrator Donald M. Berwick, M.D. "These new benefits are encouraging patients to talk to their doctors about their care, and to get the preventive services they need."
In 2011, more than 18.9 million people who participate in traditional Medicare have used preventive services at no cost, and approximately 1.3 million people were given a 50 percent discount for brand-name prescription drugs once they hit the coverage gap, for a savings total of $660 million.
CMS finds that for people who hit the coverage gap, 1.28 million have received discounts on brand-name drugs between the beginning of this year and the end of July, an increase from 899,000 through the end of June and 478,000 through the end of May. Individuals who were offered the discount have thus far saved an average of $517.
CMS also finds that more seniors are using preventive services, which are typically available for free. For those with Original Medicare, 55.6 percent have received at least one complimentary preventive service between the beginning of the year and the end of August. Over the same timeframe, 1,295,373 Americans with Original Medicare are using the new Annual Wellness Visit, which is up from 1.06 million through July and 780,000 through mid-June.
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