78,000 Ohioans save more than $581M on prescriptions

July 29--Nearly 78,000 Ohio seniors and residents with disabilities have saved more than $581 million on their prescription drugs as a result of provisions in the Affordable Care Act that are gradually closing the Medicare coverage gap for prescriptions drugs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.

Narrowing the gap, commonly referred to as the donut hole, has resulted in an average discount per beneficiary of $842 in Ohio, HHS reported.

"By making prescription drugs more affordable, we are improving and promoting the best care for people with Medicare," said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.

Before the Affordable Care Act, many people with Medicare Part D were forced to pay out-of-pocket for the entire cost of prescription drugs once they hit the coverage gap and continue paying full price for prescriptions until reaching catastrophic coverage.

But since the ACA was enacted in 2010, Medicare Part D participants have been eligible for rebates and discounts on prescriptions, including savings of about 53 percent on the cost of brand name drugs and 28 percent on the cost of generic drugs this year.

The savings and Medicare coverage will gradually increase until 2020, when the donut hole will be closed completely, according to HHS.

Nationally, more than 8.2 million seniors and people with disabilities with Medicare have saved over $11.5 billion since 2010 on prescription drugs as a result of discounts in the donut hole.

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