The AARP Doughnut Hole
Calculator launched today, giving seniors another way to access and
calculate the most cost-efficient options for purchasing their prescription
drugs. The goal, ultimately, is to avoid
the dreaded “doughnut hole,” Medicare Part D’s coverage gap where beneficiaries
are responsible for the full cost of their prescription drugs before the drug
plan once again starts picking up the bill.
DestinationRx is powering the calculator as part of a special
arrangement between AARP and CMS, using the same data accessed by the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder. Where the Plan Finder tool is designed to help
beneficiaries pick the best plan, the user interface of the AARP Doughnut Hole
Calculator is designed to help beneficiaries optimize the benefits of their
current Part D plan.
We have studied the impact of such optimization of drug costs on
seniors enrolled in Part D, with positive results: our most recent report,
which covered the top five health plans in one particular zip code, showed that
the average Part D enrollee with osteoarthritis, GERD, high cholesterol, and
hypertension could save an average of 88%, or $4,461.36 annually – and avoid the doughnut hole entirely – when
following a DestinationRx-optimized drug regimen. Download the full text version of the 2008 Doughnut Hole Study.
~ Jim Yocum, DestinationRx
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