Senior Rebate Checks for Medication

The Modesto Bee -Jun. 28: Seniors who regularly take expensive medications are starting to receive $250 checks from the federal government in one of the first tangible benefits of national health care reform.The Medicare prescription drug rebate checks are part of the health care law signed by President Barack Obama in March. The package of benefits, consumer protections and insurance reforms promises major changes to health care in the next 10 years.
Seniors in Stanislaus County have received some of the 80,000 Medicare prescription drug rebates mailed thus far. There is no need for seniors to apply for the rebates. The patient's drug plan notifies Medicare when his or her drug costs exceed $2,830 for the year and the check goes out, said Frank Dotson, director of the county's Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program."They don't need to do anything," Dotson said. "And they don't need to report the rebate if they feel it will affect their eligibility for any other benefits they have."Look out for scam artistsSeniors should beware of scam artists purporting to help them apply for or spend the rebate checks, he added. More than 380,000 Californians struggle with the coverage gap in Medicare prescription plans. It starts when their drug costs reach $2,830 and then they are expected to pay full price for drugs until out-of-pocket expenses total $4,550 for the year.Dotson said many Medicare recipients with limited incomes are not taking advantage of a prescription-drug subsidy program that predated health care reform.The benefit eliminates annual deductibles and the coverage gap, and sharply reduces co-payments for seniors with income of $1,354 a month and less than $12,510 in assets. For couples, the eligibility ceiling is income of $1,821 a month and $25,010 in assets.