Contact: Billy Feitlinger
608-239-5384
Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans celebrate new CMS healthcare data showing a reduction in costs for Medicare expenses as a result of the Affordable Care Act
The Center for Medicare & Medicate Services (CMS) released new data yesterday revealing thousands of seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare in Wisconsin are seeing reduced health care costs and taking advantage of free preventive care services as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
Across the country, more than 18.9 million people enrolled in Medicare have used preventive services with no cost to them. In Wisconsin and from coast to coast, seniors are finding that the Affordable Care Act is making prescription drugs more affordable by the Medicare Part D coverage gap, also known as the Medicare Donut Hole. The Affordable Care Act allows seniors to receive 50% discounts on their brand name prescription drugs once they hit the donut hole, saving millions of dollars for Wisconsin seniors.
As this year’s data reveals, Wisconsinites enrolled in traditional Medicare have seen tremendous savings in health care:
* 20,916 people have received discounts on brand-name drugs this year through the end of May;
* These discounts have totaled $11,894267 million in savings for seniors and people with disabilities so far this year;
* Individuals who received this discount saved an average of $568;
Leon Bruzynski, President of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans said, “It’s reassuring to see that, only a year after the Affordable Care Act was implemented, it is having such positive effects on the well-being and creating meaningful savings for seniors, most of whom are on a fixed income.”
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. The Share the News, Share the Health! campaign is intended to raise awareness about the importance of prevention and inform seniors of the free preventive services that are available.
