(1888PressRelease)
May 04, 2007 - According to a recent Families USA study, the Medicare drug plan prices for the top 15 drugs prescribed to seniors rose 9.2% from April 2006 to April 2007. That means that seniors will struggle even more this year to afford their medications while in the doughnut hole. Fortunately, there is a simple way that seniors can use to find financial relief from the doughnut hole.
The first step in surviving the doughnut hole is to determine if and when you will hit the doughnut hole in 2007. There is now available a very simple way for seniors to predict when they will hit the doughnut hole. By utilizing the Medicare coverage gap prediction tool provided by Universal Drugstore and available online at www.MedicareDoughnutHole.com, seniors can easily determine when they will hit the doughnut hole and receive a detailed breakdown of their Medicare costs for the year.
This Doughnut Hole predictor tool is a very valuable tool which helps Medicare Part D beneficiaries to be aware of when they will hit the doughnut hole. The tool also provides seniors with real alternatives to the financial burden of the doughnut hole. The tool is free to use and should be used by every Medicare beneficiary who thinks they may hit the doughnut hole this year.
Universal Drugstore has also created a free, no-obligation booklet called Medicare Doughnut Hole Facts and Secrets which is loaded with useful information and helpful tips on dealing with the Medicare coverage gap. This booklet helps seniors explore alternatives that will enable them to spend less on prescription medicines while in the doughnut hole.
The Medicare Doughnut Hole Facts and Secrets document may be obtained for free by calling 1-866-456-2456, or by visiting www.MedicareDoughnutHole.com to find the information online.
In 2007, the coverage gap starts when the total cost of your prescriptions reaches $2400. Individual plans can determine when the coverage gap starts, but in most plans it begins when your total drug costs reach $2,400 in 2007. In all plans, the coverage gap ends when your total out-of-pocket costs for covered drugs (just what you have paid) reaches $3,850.
“This means that the ‘Hole’ is somewhat larger than last year” a Universal Drug Store spokesperson explains. “It is very important for people to know when they will hit the doughnut hole, and if and when they will exit the doughnut hole, in order for them to properly weigh their options. This is why we launched www.MedicareDoughnutHole.com and our Medicare coverage gap prediction tool. People really need to see it to realize how valuable this tool can be for them. They can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars on their medications this year simply by using this tool.”
The Universal Drug Store spokesperson noted that more and more of America’s elderly are realizing that if they won’t incur enough costs to enter the catastrophic level of coverage, they likely will spend much more on their medicines than before due to the doughnut hole. This is because they will continue to pay their premiums even though there is no coverage, and the cost of their prescriptions will be much higher with their Medicare plan than through other avenues.
The spokesperson explains that there is no deductible, no co-payment and no membership required to purchase prescriptions from www.UniversalDrugStore.com . He says that savings will average to as much as 45 percent.
“We’ve served America’s elderly even before there was a Part D,” the spokesperson continues. “Our commitment to provide safe, affordable prescriptions is clearly demonstrated, and with our outreach, we are witnessing a growing number of America’s elderly saving money while protecting their health thanks to the information they have gained from our Doughnut Hole information.”
