HHS News: Medicare Prescription Drug Premiums Will Not Increase

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New Data: 17 million Americans have received free preventive services; 900,000 received 50 percent discount on prescription drugs

Medicare average prescription drug premiums will not increase in 2012. The announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) comes as more people with Medicare are receiving discounts on prescription drug costs and no-cost preventive services. New data indicates that 17 million people with Medicare have received free preventive services this year while 900,000 Medicare beneficiaries who hit the prescription drug donut hole have received a 50 percent discount on their prescription drugs.

Under the Affordable Care Act, people with Original Medicare can receive recommended preventive benefits and a new annual wellness visit without paying an additional penny out of pocket. In addition, the Affordable Care Act is closing the prescription drug donut hole by providing increasing discounts on covered drugs in the donut hole. In 2011, the number of people with Medicare benefiting from these improvements is growing.

HHS also announced that the cost of the average Medicare prescription drug plan premium in 2012 will be about $30. The average premium in 2011 is $30.76. The announcement was based on bids submitted by Part D plans for the 2012 plan year.

The national and regional premium data in today’s announcement can be found here.

For state-by-state information on the number of Medicare beneficiaries who have seen lower out-of-pocket costs in the donut hole, please click here.

For state-by-state information on utilization of free preventive services and the annual wellness, please click here.

To read the entire HHS Press release click here.

For more information on Medicare’s Share the News. Share the Health prevention campaign, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

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