Medicare Part D “Donut Hole” Hitting too Many Seniors

There have been stories, one after the other, of seniors who have Medicare Part D prescription coverage, but are running into terrible financial issues once they hit the threshold where they end up having to pay over $3,200 in self-absorbed prescription charges.

I read a story about a man who is over 90 years old, worked hard, is simply trying to survive, and hit the point where he has to start paying for expensive prescriptions while continuing to keep up with his Part D premiums. 

With prescription prices at an all-time high, and many seniors on specialized medication that does not include generics yet, Imagine having to pay $3200 – even divided into a monthly payment (which is not always possible for certain medications), the monthly amount would be about $270 extra dollars per month!  That’s quite staggering to a senior on a minimal income.  When you think of a senior on Social Security and little else, their income may be an average of $800 per month.  After rent, Part D premiums, food and utilities without any frills, that should totally obliterate the $800, even without the advent of the extra $270 for unpaid for medication.

Congress has designed the Part D plan with a whole in it that needs to be filled.  It is essential that the next Congress looks at this situation and deals with it in a way that affords our oldest and most vulnerable citizens who have usually worked hard all their lives, supposedly ensuring that their benefits would be waiting for them. Unfortunately, with this donut hole to fill the security they were relying upon is not really there.

We need to take a hard look at a solution to filling the donut hole so seniors can enjoy the dignity of life they deserve