How You Can Receive Help With Your Prescription Medication
Medicare Part D has been a God-send for a lot of senior citizens who may be on a fixed income and have a limited budget to spend on prescription drugs. The Medicare Part D coverage gap for those seniors who have a lasting illness, can be tough realization. There is quite a bit of talk during the second quarter of the year about the coverage gap or donut hole. Why is it there, what is it, and how does it work? How does it provide prescription drug help?
The coverage gap (donut hole) was created to reduce the cost of Medicare’s Part D coverage. Each year, a limit for Part D is determined. In 2007, the yearly limit was $2400. The annual amount was increased to $2510 in 2008. The amount is $2700 in 2009. Calculation of the limit is based on the total cost of the drugs that you receive. This includes what the insurance company pays and your co-pays. For instance, if a prescription drug is $550 and the patient pays $50 and the insurance company pays $500, the amount that is applied toward the annual limit is the full $550
You are responsible for all of your prescription medication 100% during the time you are in the donute hole or coverage gap. Many Medicare Part D plans offer generic drug coverage when you are in the donut hole or coverage gap. This really is not that great of a benefit because these Medicare Part D plans seem to cost more per month than most generic drugs cost. Everyone’s situation is different so for some people it might be worth it to have prescription coverage for their generics.
In just a few months a Part D patient with chronic health problems can be in the coverage gap because of their high priced prescriptions. Reaching the coverage gap as soon as February is not uncommon. The reason for the donut hole was to encourage people to buy less expensive pharmaceuticals when possible. Because nothing else works it punishes those people who must use high priced prescription drugs.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis can go into the donut hole or coverage gap within two or three months due to the price of Enbrel. Then, they must pay for their prescription medicine at full cost for the remaining months until the catastrophic coverage portion of Part D kicks in, or suffer the potentially disabling consequences of stopping their medications. The high price of Enbrel is about $1,500 a month. There are very few seniors who are able to afford that.
Some patients will be able to sign up for patient assistance programs due to their income.
Going directly to the drug manufacturer can be very helpful in obtaining low or no cost prescriptions. Contact the company and ask about their Prescription Assistance Program. Most all pharmaceutical companies offer these programs, which enable patients to receive prescription medicine they need at a price they can afford (often for free). A lengthy application co-signed by your healthcare provider is typically necessary for entry into the program. Patient Assistance Programs run by manufacturers have been in existence for over 17 years. These programs are designed to assist eligible individuals who cannot afford their prescription medications due to limited income or other financial hardships. Drug companies did not want their low income customers to be forced to make a choice between paying for life saving prescription drugs or for paying for rent or groceries. As a result, patient assistance programs came into being as part of the company’s philanthropic efforts. Until relatively recently, few people knew about the existence of these programs or could follow the complicated application process that was necessary for participation. In many cases several applications had to be filed. Please do your research and get the help with prescriptions that you need.
Tags: free medicine, help with prescriptions, pap, prescription assistance, prescription help, rx help
