New Date Shows Affordable Care Act Saved Eastern CT Seniors More than $3 Million on Prescription Drugs this Year

Press Release

According to new data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in the first six months of 2012, eastern Connecticut seniors saved $3,005,849 on prescription drugs because of the Affordable Care Act. The number of beneficiaries receiving assistance as well as the total amount of assistance will continue to grow throughout the year as more eastern Connecticut seniors hit the donut hole.

Beginning in 2011, Medicare improvements in the Affordable Care Act meant that beneficiaries automatically received a 50-percent discount on covered brand-name drugs in the Part D coverage gap, or donut hole. Beginning this year, Part D has also started covering 14 percent of generic drug costs for those in the donut hole. The amount of this discount will continue to grow until the Part D donut hole is completely phased out in 2020.

"Seniors across eastern Connecticut are receiving significant assistance covering the cost of prescription drugs thanks to the Affordable Care Act," said Congressman Courtney. "Throughout the year, as more seniors hit the donut hole, the number of beneficiaries and the total amount of assistance will continue to increase. In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act, seniors can now rest assured that this assistance is permanent, and will continue to grow until the donut hole is closed entirely in 2020."

CMS data shows that 3,956 eastern Connecticut beneficiaries received assistance between January 1 and June 30. The average savings per senior so far this year is $759.

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