Health Care Law Changing Behavoir

[SiriuslyLong]

Wow - I suppose liberals like that - the government telling private business how much money they can make. One small step for socialism. Welcome to the new America lol.

Now it is not a duplicate.

[Havakasha]

http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Medica...lthCareLaw.htm

Medicare News
New Health Care Law Creating Big Savings for Senior Citizens: CMS Data
Through July about 1.3 million with Medicare save on donut hole drug discounts; 18.9 million get free preventive care - links to info to help you save

Sept. 8, 2011 – More senior citizens and people with disabilities on Medicare are seeing a big drop in important health care costs because of provisions in the Affordable Care Act, according news today from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The savings are due to discounts on brand-name drugs in Medicare Part D changes to “donut hole” coverage and the new free preventive care added by the health care bill.

"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," said 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.”

So far this year, over 18.9 million people enrolled in traditional Medicare have used preventive services with no cost to them. Many of these services will help prevent chronic diseases that can cost Medicare billions to treat.

Also, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more Americans on Medicare are getting help affording prescription drugs -- nearly 1.3 million people have received a 50 percent discount on their brand name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole, saving a total of $660 million so far this year.

For people who hit the coverage gap (known as the “donut hole”):

● 1.28 million have received discounts on brand-name drugs this year through the end of July, up from 899,000 through the end of June and 478,000 through the end of May;

● These discounts have totaled $660 million in savings for seniors and people with disabilities so far this year; up from $462 million through June and $260 million through May;

● Individuals who have received this discount saved an average of $517 so far this year.

In addition, today CMS announced that more seniors are taking advantage of preventive services, most of which are available at no cost to them:

● 18,907,851 people with Original Medicare, or 55.6 percent of those enrolled in the program, received one or more free preventive services this year, through the end of August.

● During the same time period, 1,295,373 Americans with Original Medicare have taken advantage of the new Annual Wellness Visit, up from 1.06 million through the end of July and 780,000 through mid-June.

Donut Hole Benefits for Next 10 Years
What additional discounts and savings will I have over time in the coverage gap?
Over the next 10 years, you pay less in the coverage gap until it’s closed by 2020. By 2020, you will pay only 25% for covered brand-name and generic drugs during the gap, the same percentage you pay from the time you meet the deductible (if your plan has one) until you reach the out-of-pocket spending limit (up to $4,550 in 2011).
Year
You Will Pay This Percentage for Brand-name Drugs in the Coverage Gap
You Will Pay This Percentage for Generic Drugs in the Coverage Gap
2011
50%
93%
2012
50%

86%

2013
47.5%

79%

2014
47.5%

72%

2015
45%

65%

2016
45%

58%

2017
40%

51%

2018
35%

44%

2019
30%

37%

2020
25%

25%

More information in “Closing the Coverage Gap— Medicare Prescription Drugs Are Becoming More Affordable”
Under the Affordable Care Act, people with Original Medicare can receive recommended preventive benefits and a new Annual Wellness Visit without paying a co-payment or any cost-sharing.

[Havakasha]

2.5 Million Young Adults Gain Health Care Insurance
The number of young adults lacking medical coverage has shrunk by 2.5 million since the new health care overhaul law took effect, the AP reports.

However, for those who are little older, ages 26-35, the uninsured rate went up during the same period.

Jonathan Cohn: "Why would adults younger than 26 be so much more fortunate than those who are older? The only possible explanation, according to administration officials and most health care experts I know, is the Affordable Care Act. One of the first provisions to take effect is a requirement that insurers offering family coverage include dependents up through the age of 25."