Medicare Recipients See Drug Costs Balloon As They Hit Coverage Gap
“Then they realize it’s no mistake, and they’re devastated,” she said. “They don’t know where to get the money. Many pull out their credit cards and say they’ll worry about it later.”
“I was shocked when my druggist told me I owed $200 more than last month,” said Mary Hitt, who is 67 and lives in Dallas. “After I wrote a check covering my prescriptions, I had $6 left in my account.”
“When people shopped for drug plans, they looked at premiums, deductibles and the drugs that were covered,” said Terry Warner, who owns TexMeds in Richardson, a company that sells insurance to seniors. “Most didn’t focus on the doughnut hole.”
“This year, many seniors didn’t enroll in a drug plan until May, so they’ll never hit the doughnut hole by the end of the year,” Cubanski said. “Next year, their drug costs will start accumulating on January 1, and they’ll be more likely to reach the gap.”
“I can’t feel good about my drug savings anymore because I know they’ll end someday.”
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