HHS: Obamacare has saved state residents $13M on prescriptions

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Seniors and people with disabilities in South Dakota have saved $13.074 million on prescription drugs since the federal Affordable Care Act was enacted, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Affordable Care Act is also known, derisively by some, as “Obamacare.”

Within South Dakota, seniors in the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the “doughnut hole” have saved an average of $595 in the first eight months of 2012 because of the new law. In addition, during the first eight months of 2012, 57,311 people with original Medicare received at least one preventive service at no cost to them.

“I am pleased that the health care law is helping so many seniors save money on their prescription drug costs,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a news release. “A $5,000 savings will go a long way for many beneficiaries on fixed incomes and tight budgets.”

The health care law includes benefits to make Medicare prescription drug coverage more affordable. In 2010, anyone with Medicare who hit the prescription drug doughnut hole received a $250 rebate. In 2011, people with Medicare who hit the doughnut hole began receiving a 50 percent discount on covered brand-name drugs and a discount on generic drugs. These discounts and Medicare coverage gradually increase until 2020 when the doughnut hole is closed.

Tags: news, updates, healthcare, obamacare, state, prescriptions