To: bentway who wrote (831504 ) 1/22/2015 9:29:07 AM From: Wharf Rat Respond to Everybody on Johnsoncare benefited from Obamacare. Everybody on Johnsoncare D saw the closing of the donut hole.Medicare Benefits Expanded The ACA expanded Medicare benefits, resulting in more savings for seniors. Medicare beneficiaries will save, on average, about $5,000 over the next 10 years due to lower drug costs, free preventive services and reductions in the growth of health spending. Since passage of the ACA, more than 7.9 million people with Medicare saved over $9.9 billion on prescription drugs. Preventive Services and Annual Wellness Visit Medicare beneficiaries are eligible to receive many preventive services with no out-of-pocket costs. These include flu shots, tobacco cessation counseling, as well as no-cost screenings for cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Seniors can also get an annual wellness visit so they can talk to their doctor about any health concerns. Because of the ACA, over 37 million seniors have received at least one of these preventive services with no out-of-pocket costs in 2013. Lower Medicare Part B Premiums ACA reforms are making Medicare more efficient and reducing overall health care costs, which has helped keep Part B premiums from rising. In 2014, the Medicare Part B premium is $104.90 and the Part B annual deductible is $147, the same as in 2013. The 2013 Part B monthly premium – $104.90 – was lower than previously projected by the Medicare trustees. Lower-Cost Prescription Drugs The ACA reduces prescription drug prices for seniors and closes the coverage gap, known as the “donut hole.” Medicare beneficiaries who fall into the coverage gap, known as the "donut hole," automatically receive a discount on prescription drugs. Each year, beneficiaries pay a reduced cost for brand name and generic drugs in the coverage gap. The law closes the coverage gap in 2020.In 2014, Medicare beneficiaries in the donut hole receive a 52.5 percent discount on brand-name drugs and a 28 percent discount on generic drugs. Seniors who reach the donut hole will save, on average, about $1,265 per beneficiary. Nearly four million people with Medicare who were in the donut hole in 2010 received a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate from Medicare to help pay for prescription drug costs. Improvements for Medicare Advantage Plan Members Starting in 2014, the ACA provides additional protections for MA plan members by limiting the amount these plans spend on administrative costs, insurance company profits and items other than health care to 15 percent of their Medicare payments.MA plans also can no longer charge enrollees more than traditional Medicare for chemotherapy administration, skilled nursing home care and other specialized services. ncpssm.org
