New Report Says Hitting The Medicare Doughnut Hole Can Be Deadly For Some Seniors, USA

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 07 Jul 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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In 2007, an estimated 7 million Medicare Prescription Drug Plan beneficiaries will hit the coverage gap, called the doughnut hole. Hitting the doughnut hole can have very serious health consequences for seniors. In fact, it can even potentially result in death.

Shockingly, a 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine called, "Unintended Consequences of Caps on Medicare Drug Benefits," found that drug plans with a cap on drug coverage (as is the case with the doughnut hole in the Medicare Drug Plan) have an annual death rate that is 22% higher than plans that do not limit drug benefits.

This study also found that individuals whose benefits were capped were less likely to adhere to their long-term prescription drug therapies once they reached the coverage cap. This non-adherence to drug therapies led to significant increases in hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

A new, free report called "Medicare Doughnut Hole Facts and Secrets" reveals to seniors exactly what the doughnut hole is and how it can affect them. This report also explains to seniors how they can continue to obtain their medications affordably once they've hit the doughnut hole.

"By showing seniors where and how to obtain affordable medications while in the doughnut hole, this report will help seniors to avoid the adverse, and potentially very serious, health consequences of falling into the Medicare doughnut hole," says Jeremy Cockerill, a licensed pharmacist who created the report.

Cockerill also emphasizes that, "with hundreds of thousands of seniors having already hit the doughnut hole this year, and with millions of seniors about to hit the doughnut hole in the next couple of months, it is critical to get this report into the hands of as many seniors as possible. This report could literally be life-saving for some seniors."

Seniors can call 1-866-363-3222 to request their free copy of "Medicare Doughnut Hole Facts and Secrets." More information, including a Doughnut Hole Predictor tool, can also be found at http://www.MedicareDoughnutHole.com

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